THE LAST HURRAH
by burleseymour
Summary: Watching last week's episode 10x17...as we watched Bailey Sheppard's birthday party...started wondering what would Sofia's upcoming eighteenth birthday be like...since today is her actual fictitious third birthday...so here are some chapters about Sofia's life...the spring and summer of her eighteenth birthday...along with some other members of the Grey Sloan Memorial family...
1. Chapter 1

**THE LAST HURRAH…CHAPTER ONE**

March 24, 2028…My Last High School Spring Break…

It's Friday morning and the last time I will enjoy a high school spring break because next year in March at this time of year my spring break, I will be a freshman in college. I sit up in my bed and look around my bedroom at my closest sleeping friends that have crashed here last night. From my best friend Zola Grey Sheppard that is sharing my queen sized bed with me on one side to my adorable teenage baby sister Lucia Michelle snoring like our mami on the other side of me. On the floor are Zola's brother Derek Bailey, DB for short, their sister Alexa Caroline and my baby brother Daniel Alexander also snoring like our mami. With some of Zola and mine close high school friends also in the mix and snoring like freight trains, I begin to smell the warm and toasty hint of food.

But it is my baby brother Daniel and Zola's equally baby brother DB that are the first to smell our mamas cooking that travels up two flights of stairs and down and around our hallway. Like a flash both boys shoot out of my room and down the stairs to be the first ones at the breakfast table without being told. This exhilaration from the two teenage boys I have grown up with all my life at the tender age of almost eighteen years now only to see that they have awaken the rest of the sleeping group. With the angelic voice of my mama calling all of us down for breakfast from two floors down my mine and Zola's sisters jump up and they too fly downstairs all the while knowing that they are well far behind their older brothers. Zola and I crawl out of the warm bed to greet our friends and I tell everyone "Well we better head down to breakfast…mama will begin to worry and our brothers will consume everything in sight if we're not there".

When Zola and I and our friends finally make it down to the breakfast table we watch my mamas as they maneuver themselves very carefully around a dozen kids between the ages of twelve to eighteen without missing a beat. With mami's IPOD resting in its docking station and blaring out some very eclectic music this Friday morning I just stand and watch these two adult women as they dance and sing their way around making sure that the twelve of us have plenty to eat. When breakfast is over and the kitchen is cleaned, my high school friends tell Zola and I that they will see us later at the mall as they all tell my mamas and our sibling's goodbye and thank them all for a delicious breakfast.

Then with both our mamas along with DB, Alexa, Daniel and Lucy, short for Lucia, Zola and me all talking about what we are going to do this weekend…we are going camping. The eight of us look in our mama's direction as we can see her head spinning with the thoughts of going camping because…she hates camping…yep she does…she hates everything about it. But the good news is as our mami explains to our mama "Arizona, we all know that you hate camping…but this just isn't any kind of camping…this is camping at Derek and Meredith's winter home. So even though we all won't be roughing it per say…our oldest daughter wants to spend her last weekend of her spring break with her parents and her closest friends…even if it is going camping…so what do you say honey…do you want to go camping with your family or not"?

My wife of almost eighteen years raises her hands above her head as she shouts out loud "Yea…Yea…fun…fun…fun…we're going camping". Then my wife and I are swarmed into a gigantic family bear hug with our children and the Sheppard kids too. Just then the excitement quiets down as we all hear the front door bell begin to ring and in comes Meredith and Derek as their three kids vacate our bear hug to hug their parents. After a couple cups of coffee and one or two hot cinnamon rolls being shared by the four adults while the visiting kids grab their belongings and the five member Sheppard family begins to depart. With a promise in the morning air of meeting the five of them for lunch before we all make the three hour drive into Canada and to their winter home for the weekend I watch Arizona's face begin to succumb to the reality that we really are going camping this weekend. I ask our three kids to go and pack for our impending camping trip.

I take my wife Arizona by the hand as I lead her to our own private breakfast nook that I had built when we purchased this house fourteen years ago. I ask her to have a seat while I pour the two of us another cup of coffee. Then I sit across from my wife as I begin the dreaded conversation that we both have been avoiding lately. I say to my beautiful wife "Arizona, I know you really don't like camping but please baby do this for Sofia. She is only asking that we spend the last few months we have with her doing what she wants to do. Because come August she will be leaving us to go off to college at Stanford". My wife is very fidgety right now as she stands and begins to scream at me "Don't you think I know all of that Calliope. But what about Lucy and her allergies…going camping may only enhance her allergy symptoms…and what about Daniel…his inquisitive nature…he may just run off at any moment…do you remember what happened at Disneyland all those years ago…when him and DB just took off and we could not find them for hours…do you remember that Calliope"?

I keep a close eye on my wife as her infamous Robbins rant is in full swing and I make my way to her to swallow her up in my arms. When I feel that she has calmed down a little I begin to say "I am going to miss the hell out of her too baby when she leaves for California. But look on the bright side, her Aunt Christina and Uncle Owen will be only minutes away from her dorm room. She may have to live on campus for the first year but I will bet you anything when her sophomore year comes around our little mija will take the offer that her Uncle Owen asked of her and live with them and her cousins Madison and Colin for the rest of her time in Stanford California". When I realize that my wife has begun to cry I hold her closer to my body as I hear her say "Why couldn't she just stay here in Seattle with all of us and go to UDub, Callie" Why couldn't she just stay our little girl for a little while longer"?

Neither my wife nor I hear the door to our little breakfast nook open but we do hear the distinctive voice of our mija when she says "Mama, you alright? Why are you so sad"? I turn to face our daughter but before I can say a word to her my wife wipes the tears from her eyes and says "I'm fine Sofia, I'm just a little sad that you will be leaving soon". Our oldest daughter walks right up to my wife and I and moves me out of the way as she takes Arizona in her arms and says "But no matter where I go in my life you will be right here" as our mija lays the palm of her hand on her heart and then finishes by saying "because you're my mama". Kissing our daughter's lips with her own and squeezing her upper body tight into her melting body Arizona just finds another reason to cry today thanks to Sofia.

With Daniel and mama going over the camping checklist outside at the back of our Jeep Cherokee, just like our grandfather Daniel would if he were her today, Lucy, mami and I are packing all the food in coolers inside the house. Then Lucy marks off all the food we need with the flick of her wrist on her checklist. Grandpa Daniel is all around us…every day…in every way. We may all have lost him at a young time in our lives…but his legacy…his sense of humor…and his love…will live in each of our hearts…forever.

The five Robbins Torres family members and the five members of the Grey Sheppard clan with everyone all decked out in the outdoor fishing attire as we enter The Whistle Stop Café just outside Seattle for some lunch before heading into Canada. I am wearing my father's old fishing vest and hat when Uncle Derek sits down next to me and admires the fishing lures attached to both items. My dad and Uncle Derek were the best of friends back in the day as I have heard all their war stories together before and now my Uncle Derek just sits with me and as we reminisce about my dad. After eating another delicious meal at this great restaurant the ten of us head out to our cabin in the deep…deep woods.

Mama and Uncle Derek take me, DB, Daniel and Alexa with them down to the river to do some fly fishing before dark. With mami and Aunt Meredith along with Lucy and Zola all prepare the house for our camping weekend. After about an hour of fishing Uncle Derek asks DB and Daniel to help him with starting a fire in the indoor fireplaces. After the three of them and Alexa, following her papa anywhere, leave our presence mama and I begin to catch some enormous and plentiful fish. Mama walks a little closer to me as I hear her say while we both are still fishing "Grandma Barbara would be so proud of us today baby girl". When we finish fishing for the evening mama and I take turns taking pictures of us and our bountiful catch as I send them to my onto our Grandma Barbara through my cell phone. Within seconds my phone rings and mama and I hear our beloved family grandmother as she screams back at us telling mama and me "you both make me so proud…I haven't seen so many fish being caught since I first took your grandfather fishing on our first date".

With very limited cell phone service here in the deep woods mama and me say goodbyes to grandma while walking towards the house. Once inside Uncle Derek is laughing so hard at something that Alexa has said but when he sees all of the fish that mama and I bring in the house his laughter dies down immediately. With the look of competition suddenly overshadowing Derek Christopher Sheppard's somewhat wrinkled face as he walks by mama and me death staring down at all the fish we caught mama and I hear him say to the two of us "it is so on ladies…it is so on". I begin to laugh a little as does my mama when we take our fish out to the garage to clean them before we wrap them securely and freeze them. Mami comes out to see why our Uncle Derek is rambling to Aunt Meredith about all the fish we caught. Mami just smiles at the two of us at our late evening catch as she kisses each of us and says "Well done my girls…well done".

All day Saturday and three quarters of all day Sunday Uncle Derek along with mama and I fished with the exception of about four hours that Aunt Meredith insisted that we all go for a hike and take a break from fishing. Uncle Derek finally conceded his fishing defeat late Sunday afternoon just before we all drove back to Seattle. I found it quite amusing and enjoyable that he would want to spend his two day and a half day of vacation time with me in spite of his rivalry with my father just because he says I have my father's spirit and ruthless drive for competition. But I point out to my very special uncle as I say to him on our walk back to the cabin "I know that you want to believe that I am my father's daughter after this weekend but you must understand that I also have the fight for competition from both my mamas and for me it's a win…win situation…because I am not only a Sloan child and proud of it I am also a Robbins and a Torres child and I am as equally proud of these two women as I am of my father's legacy".

With Daniel crashed out in the rear seat of our Jeep Cherokee and mama and Lucy sitting in the middle seat as mama is helping Lucy with her homework, I sit in the passenger seat with our mami driving back to Seattle. I sit and listen to the conversations between the other three females of our family as I hear the faint snoring of my baby brother in the background. But I also watch the world go by out the passenger side window as I think to myself that I will miss the gorgeous and beautiful landscapes that litter the highway and byways of the great State of Washington. I know that Stanford is only a couple hours away by plane but there is nothing like the scenery of the outskirts of Seattle from the passenger side window with your family snoring and talking throughout the ride. Yes I will miss the simple things in our lives so I guess I had better make very good use of the next five months and cherish the little things in my family's life even more. But once we arrive home, we all have to get ready for my eighteenth birthday…Yea!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N A little surprised that no one that read the first chapter even reviewed it...maybe it's just me...just seems a bit odd...**

**THE LAST HURRAH…**

**CHAPTER TWO**

March 31, 2028…Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres's 18th Birthday Party…

Like every Friday before, heck what am I saying, like every school day before today since I received my driver's license Daniel and I are waiting patiently for Lucy to leave the St. John's Academy Middle School building. Every day we both sit in the vehicle and wait and wait because Lucy never gets out on time. But today she is late for a different reason and not because she always asking a bazillion questions in her last class…her math class. No today Daniel and I watch our baby sister as she is standing outside the school door and talking to a boy…and not just any boy…but our baby sister is talking to Christian Liam Spencer the third…one of the richest boys in Seattle…I think his father is a judge or a lawyer. Anyhoo, Daniel begins asking Lucy, once she finally enters the car, what she was talking to Christian about as she said that he asked her to the spring dance.

Daniel being the big gossip of our family could not wait until we arrived home to shout out to our mamas that Lucy got asked to the dance by one of the richest kids in our school. Mama was the first to ask Lucy "How do you feel about that mija" because my baby sister did not seem too keen on the idea by her lack of enthusiasm about a boy asking her out on a date. Lucy looks up at our mamas and asks "May I talk to you both mamas" and the three of them walk into the library and close the door behind them. Looking around the house I see that our mamas have placed the finishing touches on the party that is happening tonight for my eighteenth birthday. Then the library door opens swiftly and Daniel and I are called into the room with our other family members because according to our mami "Lucy has something she wants to tell you both today".

Danny boy and I take a seat on the leather sofa in the library as I sit next to mama and my brother makes room for our mami. Lucy stands facing the four of us as she begins by saying "I'm gay…that is why I did not get all mushy when Christian asked me to the dance and that is why I told him no". I am the first one to jump to my feet and grab my baby sister in an infamous Robbins Torres hug. I pepper her face with kisses just as our brother makes his way to the two of us to complete the sibling hug. "You all knew" Lucy questions the rest of her family as mami, Daniel and I say together "We suspected". But it was our mama Arizona who says without a doubt in her voice "I knew". We all are now staring at our mama and she continues to say "I'm your mama and I always know everything".

With all the guests arriving for my party in plenty of time to enjoy the delicious food my mamas have prepared along with the music and dancing it is my friend Katie that introduces me to the new boy that has moved in down the street as her date for the evening. I have seen him in a few classes of mine and around the school but never really introduced myself to him. With every one of my friends breaking off into little groups and enjoying themselves immensely I notice that there are not any adults around. I realize that our mamas and the other adults have drifted off down into the basement to enjoy themselves and not be in the way. Some of my friends and I make our way outside to enjoy some party games since we cannot go swimming due to the cold weather here in Seattle of late.

Then around one a.m. our mamas and the rest of the parents that have come to collect their children find their way out to the back lawn as my mami asks "Hey everyone can I have your attention? Those of you ladies that are staying here for the night the basement is set up for your sleeping pleasure. The rest of you it is time to say your goodnights and thank you very much for coming this evening". I watch my mamas walk back into our home with my brother and sister hot on their trails. I make my rounds as I tell all of my friends that are not staying this evening a good night and will see all of them all tomorrow on the baseball diamond. I walk inside our home in search of the two women that gave me life. I softly knock on their bedroom door as I hear "Come in" from my mami. Lying in each other's arms with mama's head resting on mami's chest like so many other times before, I see they are both searching for our next vacation destination on my mama's laptop. I sit on the edge of their bed as it dips a little and say "Can I ask you both something" and mama says back to me with both of them smiling "Anything mija".

"I would like to know that on my next visit to the doctor before I leave for Stanford if I could ask him for a prescription for birth control pills"? I ask both of my mamas as neither one ever saw this question coming from out of the blue until now. I have had boyfriends since I was in tenth grade but I was never that serious with any boy before…that was until tonight when my friend Katie introduced me to the boy down the street named Michael. After spending part of tonight with him and talking to him…I found him rather engaging and charming. Butterflies…actual butterflies formed in my stomach when he kissed my cheek and told me that it was a pleasure to meet me and to have a great birthday before saying goodnight. So now I sit here on my mama's bed and ask them a question that I never even thought about before tonight…that was until tonight when I met Michael. With the still stunned look on both of my mamas faces I kiss them both goodnight and tell them "I know that now that I am eighteen tonight I really do not have to ask for your permission but I was never raised that way so…you can give me your answer tomorrow so you both may sleep on your decision tonight…love you".

Before I even close their bedroom door I hear mama say to mami "What…what the hell just happened Calliope"? And my mami's answer to her wife is "Our little girl is growing up Arizona…our Sofia is growing up". Then mama's only retort is "Well I do not like that one bit Calliope…not one damn bit". But before I leave the sound of my mama's discussion I hear my mami say something that makes me smile and brings so much joy to my heart as I hear her tell her wife and my mama of eighteen years "Think about it Arizona…we are both still very sexual beings and do not even get me started about her father". My mama's defense is only her way of saying "I know Calliope…but I still do not have to like it…not one single bit". Then I see my mami hold my mama close to her chest as they both tell the other "I love you". To finish off the night I hear my mama ask my mami "Why can't they all stay at home and just stay our little babies a while longer".

Just before 2 p.m. on April 1st twenty members of the Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital staff arrive at St. John's baseball field as they begin to practice. A few minutes later several cars pull into the same parking lot as the hospital staff but these cars are filled with current and former players of the boy's baseball and girl's softball teams from St. John's Academy High School. Around twenty five kids pile out of their respective vehicles all dressed in their school sport's attire. Walking onto the baseball diamond to greet all of the hospital staff that my siblings and I have grown to know and love over the years, I smile when I hear my favorite "uncle" Dr. Alex Karev say to my mamas "How much you wanna bet we are all going to get our asses kicked by these fresh younger folks"? Both my mamas just laugh at him as mama says "Yea…but it will be so much fun Alex".

Several hours later and just as the cold Seattle wind picks up a bit, everyone is helping clean up from the softball game and the picnic lunch that we all participated in this afternoon. I see Dr. Derek Sheppard, or Uncle Derek as Daniel, Lucy and I like to call him, shake the hand of his only son Derek Bailey as he says to him "You pitched a good game son and you hit very well too". I just smile because I am the one who taught Bailey how to pitch underhand for today's game. Derek Bailey Sheppard is the star pitcher for the academy's baseball team but could not control his underhand pitching to save his life. So for the past week or so I have been teaching him the basics of the way we pitch on our softball team at the academy since I am the number one and star pitcher of the girl's softball team here at St. John's Academy High School. My smile grows even bigger when I hear DB tell his father "Well if it wasn't for Sofia I don't know how well I would have pitched. She's been helping me out all week". Both Sheppard men turn to face me as they both smile their signature Sheppard smile at me.

Lucy is riding Uncle Alex's back while everyone makes their way to the parking lot and head to their own individual homes. Michael finds me at the back end of our family Jeep as he asks if he can talk to me. We both walk away from the crowd of our friends and my family and find a private place under the old oak tree down the first base line. Michael compliments me on my pitching and my play today in the ball game. I smile and tell him he did a great job too. Then Michael asks me if I would like to go to a movie and out for some pizza tomorrow afternoon after church. I ask him "I thought you were dating Katie"? This very nice looking young man says back to me "Nah, we just went out on a couple of dates…but nothing serious". That is when I inform Michael "Well, I have to ask my mamas first before I can answer your request". Michael begins to laugh a very unusual laugh as he says to me in a sarcastic tone "Why…you're old enough to make your own decisions now…why do you have to ask them"? I walk back to the parking lot swiftly without answering Michael because I just do not like his tone especially when he uses the word "them" talking about my mamas.

Zola stops me because see can tell when I am upset almost as well as my mamas and my brother and sister can. Zola asks "Hey you, what's up"? We both watch Michael walk past us and then I say "There's something about that guy that I think that I do not like. He is very disrespectful and the tone he just used with me during our talk…I think he is homophobic". Then Zola says "Maybe we should talk with Katie and see if she thinks the same way you do since she has been seeing him lately". I nod to Zola and we both walk to the parking lot but cannot find Katie anywhere. When I ask Lucy and Alexa if they have seen Katie around my baby sister says "Yea just a minute ago. That boy she has been dating lately came up to her and practically pulled her into his car. But Uncle Alex and Uncle Derek told her that they would find her another way home. She left with some of the girls on your softball team and there they all go". Both my best friend and I watch Lucy's finger guide our sight out of the parking lot and onto the street. Then I say to the three girls near me "Well I guess that's that" and the four of us head to the vehicles that will take us all home…home to our families.

May 19th…Tomorrow…Graduation Day…and our Graduation Party…

The next twenty nine days in April and the next nineteen days in May just fly by so quickly while Zola and I along with the rest of our families get ready for our graduation day and our parties to follow. Even though Zola is technically a year older than me, her parents purposely kept back a year from starting school when they first adopted her all those years ago. With both Zola and I agreeing to share our graduation party, both sets of my grandparents and Zola's grandparents from Maine all fly to Seattle on the same day. Zola's only living relative, other than her parents and her siblings, still lives here in Seattle as Thatcher Grey joins in with the party planning. Since her Aunt Lexie's death way back when her grandfather Thatcher has taken a more avid approach to his grandchildren's lives. He has quit drinking and has become more visible in the lives of his grandkids. He, along with Derek, taught all of his grandchildren how to fly fish and how to play golf. DB even plays golf with his grandfather on his golf league a couple times a month.

Tomorrow is the day that our graduation party commences for my best friend and me but for tonight my family and I sit and have several conversations at our dinner table with our grandparents. It's been only a couple of months since we all last were together and I know that we can see them on the computer and our phones whenever we want but for Daniel, Lucy and I there is nothing like sharing a very special chat with Grandma Barbara or talking Spanish with our abuelo's. While the eight of us enjoy another delectable supper prepared by our mami and both of our grandmothers out on the back screened in porch, we all suddenly hear the doorbell ring. Mama rises from her seat first to say "I'll get it" as the rest of us go back to our conversations. When mama does not come back for the longest time I take it upon myself to go in search to see what is holding her up.

I hear two distinct voices at the front door with one being our mama's and the other voice is Michael's. I hear Michael say to my mama "Dr. Robbins, so nice to see you again. So is Sofia home...and oh by the way…just a quick question…are you supposed to be the man in your marriage…or is that Dr. Torres's job"? Just as I am about to round the corner of the kitchen to give Michael a piece of my mind for insulting my mama I hear my dear sweet mama say in her not so nice voice "Michael I think you had better go home. Sofia is busy tonight and you seem to be a little intoxicated this evening. So why don't you just walk yourself on home or would you like me to call your parents"? Michael becomes defensive at my mama and says "No you fucking dyke bitch I can drive myself home". But my mother grabs the keys out of Michael's hands and says to him while she has now jacked him up against the front door "Listen to me you little homophobic prick, you are not driving home or anywhere for that matter tonight and you are not welcome to come by our house anymore. And if I see you even talking to Sofia or any other girl friends of hers I will see to it that you are arrested for stalking and assault. I do not exactly know what you did to Katie…but if I ever find out…you will be severely punished. Do I make myself perfectly clear young man"?

Michael pushes himself out of my mama's hold and calls her a dyke bitch again as he stumbles down the steps of our front porch and makes his way towards his home down the street. I am standing at the front door when my mama walks back in and I swallow her up in my arms and tell her that I love her and that I am sorry for ever thinking that Michael was a nice boy. Mama wraps her arms around me and says "Promise me that if he comes near you or any of your friends ever again that you or you tell someone to call the police right away. Please mija promise me"? I tell her that I will do as she asks then mami comes in from outside to see the worried looks on our faces as she asks "What's going on with you two" and mama just tells her "Sofia and I were just taking out the trash".

I tell Zola and our small circle of friends about what happened between mama and Michael last night as we are all getting ready for our graduation ceremony. I tell my friends that if Michael comes around them to do what my mama asked me to do and either tell someone or call the police. Everyone agrees that they will and then the ten of us jump into the limo my abuelo's rented for us for the whole day for our graduation ceremony and our party tonight. The day and night went off without a hitch because we did not see Michael the entire day. A few of us saw Katie and asked her about Michael. But she was all about defending him and became upset with all of us because of what my mama did and said to him. I too became defensive at her and defended what my mama did and said to Michael right back at her but before I got too upset Zola took me by the hand and walked me away from the situation. When we were clear of Katie's presence Zola said to me "let's not this crap ruin our graduation party Sof…we've waited too long for this night…so let's have some fun". And fun we did…all night long. Then the next morning all the adults woke up to our back yard littered with way too many young ladies just sleeping where ever they found a place to sleep. I faintly hear my mami say "I think they all had way too much fun last night". Then just like everyone tells us that all good things must come to an end…and it so does…


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Memorial Day Weekend… Our Grandma Barbara and both of our abuelo's stayed for a couple of weeks after my graduation. All eight of us took a road trip to complete my final preparations and registration requirements at Stanford California . We stayed with Aunt Cristina and Uncle Owen along with Madison and Colin for a couple of days. Aunt Christina just could not wait to show me my room if I decide to live with them after my freshman year. Then we all went sightseeing all day Sunday before we headed home early Monday morning. We all took a tour of an aircraft carrier that had been docked in the San Francisco harbor. It was Daniel that was the first to say "I sure do miss grandpa". Grandma Barbara was the first to hug and squeeze my brother as she held him tight. Both of them along with the rest of us remembering how every Memorial Day weekend Grandpa Daniel would take all of us on a tour of an aircraft carrier no matter what city we in to celebrated this glorious and noble military day.

Once we arrived at the Seattle city limits sign mama and mami both said that they wanted to stop by the hospital and check on a few patients. Then abuela Lucia asks "Ladies can we take the children with us to the hotel and spend the rest of the afternoon with them"? Before either of our mama's can answer our abuela Lucia our abuelo Carlos asks "Why don't you both leave the children with us and when you both are finished at the hospital we can all meet up for dinner"? Our mamas agree to leave Daniel and Lucy with our grandparents while they drop me off at home because I am meeting up with Zola when her mother drops her off at our house in a couple of hours. We all promise our grandparents that the three of us will join them for dinner at the hotel around seven tonight.

After spending the last few hours with Zola at my house, her boyfriend calls her and I decide to give her some privacy by mouthing the words "I'm going outside". We both are waiting for our parents to pick us up because Zola and her dad along with her brother DB are on their way and my mamas called me about five minutes ago to tell me that they will pick me up within the hour. I walk outside to sit on the back deck until Zola finishes her phone call with her boyfriend Charley. I have my ear buds in listening to some music while flipping through a trashy magazine that belongs to one of my mamas. I do not even hear anyone come around the side of our house until I feel the outdoor chair move under my body. Suddenly my body is being lifted from the seat of the chair and I am shoved against the side of my home. By the time my mind has time to register what is going on…I see him…I see him with his hands on my shoulders yelling at me.

Michael pulls the ear buds out of my ears and yells "Do you fucking hear me bitch". I try my best to calm the situation down but I want to be loud enough for Zola to hear me talking to someone. I say to Michael "No Michael I'm sorry I did not hear what you said. Please ask me again"? Michael is able to sense what I am trying to do as he says "is someone else home with you? Oh I so hope it's that dyke bitch mother of yours so I can teach her a lesson". I quickly say to him "No Michael, both my mamas are at the hospital" so he does not find Zola inside the house. Michael turns his attention back to me while he is still holding me against the side of my home. Then he says with a smirking grin on his face "Good…good…so it's just me and you then". Michael tries to kiss me but I turn my head away and scream "No Michael" but then my cheek begins to sting as I feel him slap my face and say "You don't get to say no to me you stuck up bitch. I tried to be nice and ask you our properly but you turned me down. Then I heard that you told all of friends what happened between your lesbian mother and me".

I struggle to try to free myself from Michael's grip but this only fuels the fire to an already bad situation because he just kept pushing me against the wall and screaming "No Sofia …no you stand right there and hear what I have to say". While Michael begins his rant about how I never gave him a chance to date him and continues on about what a great guy he truly is that is when I notice that Michael's lower body is spread out away from mine so am not able to knee him in the groin like I was taught to do in our defense awareness class during my junior year. So I just bide my time listening to his bullshit crap until he comes closer to my body and I can knee him in the groin. But then Michael suddenly takes his right hand and rips open the front of my sun dress while saying "Nice" as he stares at my now exposed breasts. "You take after your Latina mother in regards to your boobs…Nice" Michael says as he paws at my breasts. Then he moves his right hand downward to unzip his pants all the while his rant continues "I am going to show you what both your lesbian mothers need and that is a nice hard cock shoved up into them". I begin to struggle with him and keep screaming "No" when I feel him lift my dress and pull at my panties as he manages to yank them down my thighs. Then suddenly I hear another voice unexpectedly say "What the hell is going on out here" as I see DB standing out on the deck. I scream "DB" and my best friend's brother runs toward Michael and me very quickly.

Michael's hands are swiftly removed from my body as he is now going after DB. With one punch DB hits the deck as I scream "No" for a third time while I am trying to hold the top of my dress together. Michael shouts at DB and tells him "You need to mind your own business and get back into that house before I really kick your ass". Then Michael turns back around with his penis still hanging out of his pants as he smiles at me and says "Now where were we bitch". I wait until he is right in front of me with me letting go of the top of my dress and I place my hands on his shoulders and hear him say "Now that's more like it" and then I thrust my right knee into his groin area as hard as I can. Michael doubles over in pain as he is still calling me a bitch but when he begins to stand upright that is when I see DB's right leg come into view. DB picks himself up off the deck and does this kind of cool ninja flying roundhouse kick that he learned in his karate class as the flat portion of the bottom of his shoe nails Michael right in the face and knocks him out cold.

I run to DB as I gobble him up in my arms and begin to cry. Then all of the noise from outside our home is heard by Zola and her father when they both come running out from the inside of the house to see Michael completely unresponsive. Derek Sheppard goes into father mode first as he sees me in the arms of his son and says "What the hell happened here"? Zola takes me out of her brother's arms and holds me tight while DB explains to his dad what had just happened. Then DB takes off his t-shirt and hands it to his sister as both of the Sheppard men turn away from our sight and Zola helps me put on DB's t-shirt over my torn sun dress. Dr. Sheppard then goes from father mode to doctor mode as he checks out my face and asks me exactly what happened. The whole time I am telling my best friend's father what transpired this afternoon, the doctor in him says to me "Sofia I have to ask. Did at any time during this episode…" then he turned to his children and asked them "Zola…Bailey, can you please just give us a moment"? But then I tell my uncle "It's alright if they stay Uncle Derek".

One of the hardest things a doctor has to do is ask the tough and personal questions to a teenaged girl when she has been assaulted…maybe even sexually assaulted. But today for Dr. Derek Sheppard as he is looking into his goddaughter's eyes the question is nearly impossible to ask…but never the less it must be ask as he begins again. "Sofia, I need to ask you if Michael, besides giving you the obvious marks on your face in a fit of rage…did he…did he…hurt you in any other way…did he sexually touch you…did he penetrate you in any way"? The next sound the four of us hear is Zola screaming "DAD". Uncle Derek quickly turns around to say to his oldest daughter "I'm sorry Zola…but I have to ask Sofia these questions so we will know how and what to treat her for when she goes to the hospital". Then it is me that makes the next sound as I gasp for a breath of fresh air in my lungs suddenly and ask "My Mamas, what about them"?

When DB used his now signature karate move on Michael's face he kicked him with such force that not only did Michael hit the outside deck's wooden floor with such force to help with knocking him unconscious but it also tossed his body out onto the wet and muddy grass right next to the deck staircase. I answer my uncle's question as I tell him that Michael did touch my breasts but he did not have a chance to sexually assault me because of the heroics of his only son coming to my rescue. But I did tell my uncle that Michael did expose himself to me and that if he turns Michael's body over he can see for himself that Michaels penis is out of his pants. But before any of us move in the direction of Michael's stilled and unresponsive body, Uncle Derek tells us not to touch him and that he is calling the police. When the police arrive the four of us tell what happened this afternoon as Michael is still unconscious and lying face down in the muddy grass. When the police officers handcuff him and begin to pick his insensible body off the ground a police photographer takes numerous pictures of Michael's exposed body part.

Uncle Derek receives permission from the police to take me to the hospital and get me checked out. DB drives the four of us to Grey+Sloan Memorial hospital as I begin to sweat a little. I notice that DB stares at me through the rear view mirror every chance he gets and I just smile back at him. I hear Zola on the phone with her mother filling her in on what has happened and I too hear Uncle Derek talking to Uncle Alex and Aunt April telling them that we will be arriving any minute now. Both my aunt and uncle are waiting for me when DB pulls up to emergency room bay door. They have a wheelchair ready as they both take me to a private exam room away from prying eyes. When my voice begins to shake a bit and I ask my Aunt April "My mamas" she smiles and says to me "I sent Dr. Edwards to get them and they should be here any minute now". I am placed on a gurney with my uncles Derek and Alex talking about what happened to me and my Aunt April beginning her exam of my body when out of the blue the exam room door opens and my mami shouts "Everyone out…now" and everybody leaves my sight.

I have been very stoic and keeping my wits about myself to make sure that I tell whoever wants to know exactly what happened today. But when I hear my mami's Latina soaked feared voice yelling at her colleagues to leave the two of us alone I break down and begin to cry "Mami" and she swallows me up in her arms and I hear her say "Oh mija". When my mami and I hear the door to the exam room open again my mami says very loudly "I said get out" but when we both hear a soft voice say "Calliope" all I can say is "Mama" and she comes running into my arms as well. With both of my mamas holding me close I begin to tell them what has happened. My mama is still holding onto me when my mami opens the door and asks Aunt April to come back into the exam room. Aunt April motions for Uncle Alex and Aunt Jo to come with her as she tells the Sheppard family to wait in the private waiting room and she will come and get them after her examination of me. I hear a worried DB say he does not want to leave my sight but then I hear Zola convince him that they will be just outside my door.

With both of my mamas gripping each of my hands in theirs Aunt April begins her examination. Uncle Alex is going to notate everything that Aunt April is says to him while Aunt Jo will be taking pictures of my body. Aunt April softly whispers in my ear "You ready Sofia " with her hands gently on the tie of my hospital gown. I tell her "Yes ma'am" and she begins to untie the knot. I look straight into my mama's eyes but then I hear that my mami is the first one to gasp. With my Aunt Jo snapping away at taking pictures I look at the mirror in front of me that reflects off the mirror behind me and I see all the bruises on my shoulders and my back that Michael has left on my body. Then Aunt Jo stands directly in front of me to take a picture of the long claw marks that run from my neck down through the valley between my breasts where Michael ripped the top of my sun dress during his assault. Then I hear the faint mumblings under his breath of my Uncle Alex.

Mama asks Uncle Alex to come with her outside for a moment and I know that if the police are crazy enough to send Michael to Grey+ Sloan Memorial Hospital that everyone better keep an eye on my uncles Alex and Derek at all times. They both are just mad enough to do something…something to Michael. I do not precisely know what my mama may have said to Uncle Alex but he does not come back into the exam room with her when she returns. Aunt April then explains to me and my mamas that the next part of the exam consists of wiping my naked body down with a solution to softly exfoliate my skin to find any fibers, hair, body fluids and anything they can find for the police investigation. Both my mamas say that they will do this procedure but when Aunt Miranda walks into the exam room she tells my mamas that they cannot have any part of participating in this examination. So they both just stand against the wall while both of my aunts wipe my body down. Aunt April also has to comb out my pubic hair just in case Michael transferred any of his pubic hair onto me during his attack.

With my examination complete I hear my mami harshly as Aunt Miranda "It is alright if Arizona and I go with our daughter to radiology to see her scans"? My Aunt Miranda tearfully looks at both of my mamas and says "Yes". But before any of us leave the exam room Bailey asks "Where are Danny and Lucy"? Both of my mamas whip out their phones from their lab coats and say "Shit" together. Aunt Miranda takes the phone out of my mama's hand and says "I will call your parents and tell them to come to the hospital right away. Then when they arrive I will direct them to Sofia 's room because she is spending at least one night here for observation depending on Derek's determination of course". Both my mamas and I tell my five foot four inch wonderful aunt "Thank you" as we all leave the exam room and make our way to radiology as everyone else following us out the door. DB takes over the duties of pushing my wheelchair from our Uncle Alex.

Once we all leave the exam room we all hear the mother of the boy who assaulted me yelling at the top of her lungs that she demands to know who beat up her son. Both of my mamas are holding each of my hands so tight but then I begin to feel my mama's grip start to cease a little and I say softly "No mama, he is not worth it". With my mama's hand leaving mine and gripping the side of my gurney mattress with such force that I know something is about to happen…but I just don't know what exactly. Then when we all reach the elevator I watch my mama as she moves down to the end of the gurney and begins to push the large metal object inside the elevator. My mama…this woman who love me fiercely beyond measure…looks up at me from the bottom of my gurney…and says "I'm sorry Sofia "…as she makes a mad dash back the way we came. My mami screams " Arizona " and I scream "Mama" at the same time that it jolts my Uncle Alex so bad that he makes a beeline chasing my mama and saying "I got this".

Time seems to stand still while I am in x-ray getting films of my head, neck, back and both shoulders. But time comes to a very slow crawl when I try to lie still in the CT machine because I cannot stop thinking about where my mama is right this very minute. Nobody will tell me anything about what is going on with her since she left me and everyone else at the elevator. Then with Uncle Derek explaining to me "Sofia as soon as we find out where your mama is we will tell you…I promise but baby girl you need to lie very still or the pictures will not come out clear…and we will not be able to see or tell what is going on if anything so… please Sofia". I take a deep breath and tell my uncle who is now my doctor "Alright Uncle Derek" and I close my eyes and relax. After about a minute or two I hear voices…people talking to one another…that is when I realize that Uncle Derek forgot to turn off the microphone to the CT machine. The first voice I recognize is my Uncle Alex and the other voice is my mami's.

"Where is she Alex…is she alright" I hear my mami ask my uncle when Alex says "Yea she's fine…Owen and Bailey had to practically pull her off of the boy's mother after she lunged after her when the woman called Sofia a name". Just then I hear my mami say " Arizona " and I hear my mama say "What Calliope, if you were down there listening to her scream her bullshit agenda at anyone who would listen you would have wanted to kick her ass too. And besides, she our girl and no one gets to hurt our mija and gets away with it…no one…because I protect my family and I protect the things I love". I smile as I lie there completely still in the CT machine and listen to my mama tell everyone how much she loves me…and will protect me with her last dying breath and I think I so love my mama.


	4. Chapter 4

**HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**THE END OF MAY AND BEGINNING OF JUNE…**

It took two days of me staying in the hospital before my Uncle Derek would release me. He said that he wanted to monitor the little blip he saw on my CT scan to make sure it was not a brain bleed from the blunt force trauma my head had suffered at the hands of one Michael Simmons. Waiting to be discharged from the hospital took forever. But that was because I found out later that day that Michael was also being discharged and my family wanted for me to wait until him and his family left the hospital premises. "That's the way the Robbins Torres family rolls…we protect you sis" I am told by my brother Daniel on our way home.

By the time we arrived home my parent's lawyer was waiting for us on our front porch. Mrs. Jennifer Fletcher-Fowler was not wearing a smile of any kind on her very serious face when we all entered our home. Not shying away with any sort of small talk, the petite sized lawyer says quite frankly "The assailant Michael Simmons has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has been arraigned for a preliminary hearing. Where a judge will hear all the evidence that the prosecutor's office has to prove their case and he alone will decide whether or not to hold Mr. Simmons over to a grand jury. Mr. Drake from the prosecutor's office asked me to ask you Sofia if you would like to state your case to the judge before he pronounces his decision"? With everyone's eyes glued to me right now I stand in the middle of our living room and am as silent as a church mouse. Then like a wave of my grandfather Daniel's honor and duty belief system washes over me and right then and there, I know that I have to do my civic duty and testify against Michael and face him once and for all.

**LATER THAT NIGHT…**

After agreeing to meet with our family lawyer tomorrow afternoon and going over my recollection of what happened to me earlier this week, I remind my mamas that my first counseling session with Dr. Wyatt is tomorrow morning. My mami looks at my mama and says "Baby, are you planning on taking Sof to her doctor's appointment in the morning because you know that I have to work from eight tonight until eight in the morning". We all watch our mama plant a huge kiss on our mami's lips as she smilingly says "Yes honey, I will take Sofia to see Dr. Wyatt". My mamas and my doctors thought it would be best if I had a few counseling sessions with Dr. Wyatt to talk about what happened to me. She seemed to help our mamas several years ago when they were going through a bad patch in their marriage and they both think the world of Dr. Wyatt.

At about 7:45 that night, mami comes around to say her goodbyes to the three of us and mama because she is headed out to work. After kissing all of us our mama walks our mami to the front door and kisses her again telling her that she loves her and our mami doing the same. Then mama comes back into the living room and announces "How 'bout a good old fashioned Robbins Torres movie night". With the four of us heading in all sorts of different directions all over the house to get ready for our movie night, mama orders a few pizzas while my brother and sister and I gather some other snacks and a couple of movies to watch. We all make a big comfortable area on the floor full of blankets and pillows where we all snuggle up together and begin our movie night fest.

Somewhere in the middle of the night I wake myself up screaming from a bad dream I just had and realize that I had not woken up Daniel or Lucy. I look around the living room and do not see my mama anywhere. I climb out from under the mountain of blankets and pillows to find my mama sleeping soundly in her bed all alone. I make my way to mami's side of the bed and slide my body in next to my mama's. I cuddle up next to her and when she feels my unexpected arm hugging her close my mama turns to face me and asks "What's wrong mija"? In that moment the flood gates open and I begin to cry furiously and say through my tears "I had a bad dream…about Michael…and I don't know if I can testify".

Mama grabs some tissues off her nightstand as she wipes away my tears and says to me "Baby girl, you do not have to do anything you don't want to do…do you hear me"? I shake my head affirmatively at my mama and ask "You're not mad at me"? My mama kisses my lips tenderly and says "Oh mija, I could never be mad at you…I love you with all my heart. Now come on and get some sleep". My mama wraps me up in her arms and we both fall back into a peaceful sleep. That is the way my mami along with my siblings find us the next morning when I snore so loud that it wakes both my mama and I up and we see three pairs of eyes watching our every move. Then mami says "So this is where I find you two after my twelve hour shift. Well get you butts up and eat the breakfast that Daniel and Lucy and I made for the two of you before you head out to your doctor's appointment". Just as I am walking out our mama's bedroom door I hear my mama ask my mami "Calliope can we talk for a moment first"? That is when I know that they are going to talk about the bad dream I had last night.

Dr. Wyatt is a good doctor…no…she's a great doctor. For the last hour she and I talk about what happened to me and how it makes me feel. Even when I have bouts of crying about what happened to me throughout my session Dr. Wyatt never lets up and pushes me through. Then we discuss the dream I had last night and me telling my mama that I did not think I could testify against him. But then Dr. Wyatt makes me look at this situation in another direction…in the direction of Michael's other presumed victims that are out there and afraid to come forward. That is when I think about Katie…I really begin to think about her being one of Michael's victims…and how she is really afraid of him…and not protective of him as she would like everyone to believe. That is when it hits me like a lightning bolt and I run out of Dr. Wyatt's office to find my mamas.

Sitting in the witness chair can be a little intimidating to say the least. Having Michael Simmons staring back at you from across the room with that smirking grin on his face can also be quite intimidating. But you do what you have to do to find justice in the world. I finish telling my story to the twelve grand jury members that will decide if Michael should be held responsible for the charges that he has committed and brought to trial. Just as I am done talking Michael stands and yells out for everyone to hear "You are a lying bitch and so are both your dyke mothers". That is when I say back to him but I never raise my voice like he did "You think I am lying about this whole matter Michael? That is just what you want these ladies and gentlemen of the jury to think because no one else…not one other girl you have hurt…in some way or another…will come up here and tell these people of the jury the truth". Before I can say another word in my defense Michael's lawyer yells "Objection your honor". Then all eyes are now on the judge as he stares at me and then looks across the courtroom and into Michael's eyes.

The middle aged gray haired judge who kind of reminds me of my father at this stage of his life looks right into my eyes and says "Objection sustained…now Ms. Robbins Torres please finish your thought…I'm almost certain the jury would like to continue hearing your point of view". I tell the judge "Thank you sir" and sit up straight and continue. "Michael you're counting on this testimony I am giving today to be just from me and no one else because then it will my word against yours. Even though DB was there and saw what you were doing to me that day. But let me ask you a question…when I was sworn in just a few minutes ago and before I even sat in this witness chair…I had to place my right hand on the bible and raise my left hand to God and swore to everyone here and to our almighty God that I would tell the truth…and I am…but can you do the same thing…can you honestly place your right hand on the bible and your left hand to God and swear to tell the truth…the whole truth…and nothing but the truth…so help you God"? When everyone in the court room sees that Michael just cowers back in his chair and does not say a word in his own defense…it does not take the twelve member grand jury panel long to unanimously decide to go forth and send Michael to trial for the charges he has been accused of committing against me.

By the time the whole Robbins Torres family arrives home from a strenuous day in the King County courtroom and after having a delicious family meal at my favorite restaurant, our mama's phone is ringing off the hook. Mama places her phone on the counter and mami pushes the speaker button. The five of us hear our family lawyer say "Well everyone I have some good news and some bad news…which do you want to hear first"? I speak very quickly before anyone else has a chance to as I say to Mrs. Fowler "Good news". We all hear the young mother of three take a deep breath and say "Good news…great…well here goes…Katie Walters called my office along with four other girls to say that they all want to testify against Michael Simmons because they all were assaulted by him and Katie claims that he raped her last month". The phone fell silent and after a minute or two Mrs. Fowler says into the phone "Are all of you alright"?

Next it was my mama who says "Can Michael be prosecuted for what he did to Katie"? Mrs. Fowler simply says with a touch of spite in her voice "I'm sorry to say but no. There is no physical evidence that supports her claim because she never reported the incident to anyone. She never went to the hospital…she kept it all to herself but she did take some photos of her body after the attack. With those pictures plus her testimony and testimony of the other girls we have enough evidence to hopefully convict him for a long time". Then mami asks "And the bad news"? Our family lawyer takes another deep breath as she says to my family "Michael Simmons has made bail and is out of jail until his court date in two weeks from today. Judge Taylor has ordered Michael Simmons to not come into any kind of contact with the witnesses and the prosecution. The judge specifically states in the restraining order that if he is even in the vicinity of five hundred yards of the Robbins Torres household and especially one Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres that he will be arrested on sight and will spend the rest of his freedom behind bars until his trial is complete. The judge means business and if any of you see him within these boundaries call the police immediately".

With our mamas promising our family lawyer "We will do just that" as they end the call. Then the family discussion begins about this matter and after about five minutes I have had enough. I say to my family "Can we please stop talking about this piece of sh…crap. I do not want the rest of my last summer before I head off to college worrying about this asshole. I know we have to face him in two weeks in court but for now can we just enjoy the summer months ahead". My mama kisses my forehead as we all hug one another and we never talk about this son of a bitch again…at least for the next ten days…until we receive another phone call from our family lawyer…and my mamas run into Michael's mother again at the hospital…and fate sets in…or maybe some would say…a little bit of carma…

**TEN DAYS LATER…**

You know when you have that feeling…that feeling deep down inside…that you know something is wrong…something so wrong…but there is nothing you can do about…what is about to happen…fate just has a way of taking over…and doing the right thing…to seek justice…if you will…for everyone involved.

Both my mamas are working in the ER today because of a multiple car crash that includes children being hurt. The two of them along with my aunts Miranda, Meredith and April and my uncles Derek and Alex are trying their very best to save all the crash victims. And just when they all have a moment to take a breath an unforeseen voice shrieks throughout the ER that brings all seven of them back to reality. Angela Simmons is running from the back of an ambulance screaming at the top of her lungs and pointing at my mamas "You killed him…you both killed my son". Nicole the paramedic driving the ambulance tells the woman to "sit your ass down and shut the hell up". Nicole hands the ambulance tally sheet to Uncle Derek and Aunt April and says "Michael Simmons…eighteen year old white male…with four gunshot wounds to his chest…patient lost consciousness and vital signs en route…shocked four times with defibrillator…no response…just need someone to pronounce him". With Mrs. Simmons still screaming in the background "No…not my Michael" and with my Uncle Derek listening to Michael's chest to try to find a heartbeat but cannot as he finally says "Time of death 16:42 p.m."

Zola and I am standing at the entrance to the ER as we have just got off the elevator after going up to the fourth floor to retrieve some drinks for our parents when we both watch what has just transpired. Aunt April covers Michael Simmons face with the hospital sheet while his mother is still screaming. Mama sees me just standing there with a load of drinks in my hands and makes her way to me while tapping mami's arm. Both women run to me just as Uncle Alex takes the drinks out of my hands as they both swallow me up in there arms. Standing there in some kind of shock I say to my mamas "Zola and I just came by to see if we could have some lunch with our parents when one of the nurses said that you all might be thirsty. So we went upstairs to get you guys something to drink and then came down to see all of this…what's happening mama"?

My mamas take me into a private room as we and Uncle Derek and Aunt April along with two of Seattle's finest police officers listen to Nicole the paramedic tell what she and her partner David came upon when they arrived at the 911 call. Nicole begins by saying "Seems that the patient Michael Simmons was in the illegal act of raping a college student when the student's roommate arrived home and in the middle of this horrific act. Michael then proceeds to tell the girl he was raping to tie the roommate up and make her watch. He was brandishing a handgun that is how he was able to control both women. Then when he is finished with the one student he turns his attention to the other girl but when he cuts her bondage loose she quickly grabs the gun out of his hand and begins to shoot him at point blank range four times in the chest. By the time we arrive on the scene we followed protocol but lost the patient en route to Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital. Patient was pronounced dead by Dr. Derek Sheppard at 16:42 P.m." The two police officers take Nicole back out of the room with them while my mamas and I just hold each other close.

June 15th is my last counseling session with Dr. Wyatt. She has asked that my mamas and my brother and sister join the two of us because she wants to talk with all the members of the Robbins Torres family together. The good doctor starts off by saying when we all arrive and have a seat "Even though Michael is no longer alive, I would like all of your final thoughts on what the past few weeks have meant to each of you". Lucy is the first to speak as she says under her breath "I'm scared…I'm always scared…I know he is dead…but I'm still scared". Just as Dr. Wyatt and our mamas try to elaborate further with Lucy, Chief Miranda Bailey opens the door and says "I need every one of you to follow me".


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Angela Simmons is a motivated woman…her motivation stems from her unrelenting selfishness and greed as she lets the things in her life that she does not agree with or understand fuel her motivation to the point to where she will just not let anything rest…she has lost the only person that has meant anything to her…the one person she loved more than life itself in this cruel and hostile world…and now she is going to make the people she feels responsible for her son's demise pay…and pay dearly they shall…by her dark and cold dead hands.

I lead the trail of my family members and Dr. Wyatt through the halls as we all walk behind the short stature of one Dr. Miranda Bailey Chief of Surgery at Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital. Without any one saying a word we all walk into the chief's office to find Michael's mother sitting in front of Chief Bailey's desk with another woman off to her left. Aunt Miranda begins to introduce the other woman to us as she introduces Michael's mother to Dr. Wyatt. With our family taking our seats on Aunt Miranda sofa that adorns her office my mami says "What's going on Bailey". Aunt Miranda places her right hand in the air pointing her finger at my mami and saying "Just give me a minute and I will explain". 

**Dr. Wyatt's Initial Perception Of The Situation Before Her…**

Self Centered, Egotistical, Manipulative, Cunning, Hurtful, Hateful, Controlling, Shrewd, Smart, Sneaky, Has a God Complex, Cruel, Mean, and just plain Evil. She doesn't even acknowledge the severity of her son's crimes or that he needed help with his sex addiction. Michael's real father left when he was a child because according to Mrs. Simmons words "He was a loser and a piece of shit". Just as I am writing these notes on my tablet a knock at Chief Bailey's door is heard by all and in walks a well dressed distinguished looking gentleman who takes a seat next to Mrs. Simmons. Behind this man walks in the four person hospital legal staff at Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital. I sit back and watch what is about to unfold for not only me but for the Robbins Torres Family and Chief Miranda Bailey as well as the future of Grey+Sloan Memorial Hospital.

After the introductions are made so that everyone knows who all the players are, I notice fourteen year old Lucy Robbins Torres snuggle up under her mama's arm as Dr. Arizona Robbins Torres wraps her arm around her daughter and holds her tight. In between the doctor and her wife sits their oldest daughter eighteen year old Sofia and on the other side of Dr. Callie Robbins Torres sits their sixteen year old son Daniel. All five members of this family are holding on to one another in some way, shape or form as they all fill out the long sofa in the chief's office. I watch carefully as I hear Mrs. Simmons emit her very nasty and rude comments to the chief, the Robbins Torres family and to the hospital legal staff as she talks about suing everyone involved in her son's death. Just as Mrs. Simmons begins to jump up out of her chair to get her point across to the three ladies that she thinks is all to blame for her son's death, Dr. Callie Robbins Torres bolts for her seated position and begins to scream back at Michael's mother in Spanish…the only down side to this scene is that the five members of the Robbins Torres clan are the only ones that can understand their mami.

Then it is Daniel and Sofia along with their mama that all tug on Dr. Torres lab coat and makes her sit back down on the sofa. But still Mrs. Simmons continues to berate everyone in the room and then suddenly that well dressed distinguished man I was telling you about earlier stands and screams at who I now find out is his wife as he shouts at Mrs. Simmons "Shut up Angela, just shut the hell up for once in your sad miserable life". The room falls silent but the moment Mr. Simmons realizes that he may have just scared the Robbins Torres children he begins to apologize profusely. It is at this time when Dr. Robbins Torres…Arizona…asks their children to walk down to the cafeteria and grabs some food and meet her and their mami back in her office in a little while. Each child rises from their seat and excuses themselves properly in front of all the adults in the room and I just smile at their politeness.

Once Chief Bailey's door is securely closed behind the leaving children, Mrs. Simmons begins to say something but before she can begin another narcissistic rant her husband quickly asks her "This is what was so important to you that I had to miss my afternoon meeting? Another one of your bullying sessions with people we hardly even know. When are you ever going to get it through that thick fucking skull of yours Angela that these folks are not the problem? Just like the folks in Phoenix and in Dallas…that we had to uproot our lives because you obsession to not see what is right in front of your fucking eyes. Our son was a sex addict and even after his death you still don't see the truth when it is staring you right in the face". Mr. Simmons retakes his seat in the chair in front of Chief Bailey's desk as he begins to pour out his heart…finally…maybe because we are really total strangers to him…and he just needs to get it out…to tell someone…to tell someone other than his wife…because she clearly does not get it…not at all.

"First I want to apologize to all of you in this room…and especially to your daughter doctors". Mr. Gregory Simmons begins his heartfelt tale "I tried…I really tried…for over a decade to get Michael some help. I took him to therapy session with psychiatrists in Phoenix and in Dallas but as soon as my wife found out what we were doing…she shut it down. She made her mission in life to take care of Michael herself but as the years went by he grew increasingly worse. Then one of our neighbors in Dallas came home from work early one afternoon and found Michael in his house and in his daughter's bedroom just about to rape her when he opened the door and practically beat Michael to death. Our son spent the next two weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries but my wife still could not see it. She twisted the whole episode around and the girl never pressed any charges against our son because my wife convinced her not to…at least our money convinced the girl not to press charges".

Angela Simmons sits in the chair and listens to what her husband has to say before she begins to weave a whole different scenario before the rest of us. She begins to play the victim in this little theater production in her own mind. Telling anyone who will listen to her demented ramblings about just how hard of a time it was to raise her son alone because her husband was always working and never around. Just as she started another bout of her lies her husband screams "That's enough Angela…I have had just about enough of your bullshit…as a matter of fact…I have had enough of this marriage too". Mr. Simmons stands and says to the woman that came into Dr. Bailey's office a while ago with his wife "Gail, when you get back to the office tonight I want you to draw up a divorce decree with Jeffrey's help. I want it ready in the morning to be signed. And Angela you have two days to get your shit out of the house because I will be changing the locks. We are through and after we sign the divorce papers tomorrow morning, I never want to see you ever again so I suggest you hightail it out of Seattle".

Mr. Simmons takes his trench coat off the coat rack in the chief's office as he waits for Gail to exit the door ahead of him. This tall distinguished gentleman then takes a moment to stand in front of the two Robbins Torres wives and says "I am so sorry for everything that has happened in your lives and your children's lives these past few weeks and if there is anything I can do for the five of you please do not hesitate to ask…because it would be my pleasure to make this right with all of you". Then Mr. Simmons takes each woman's hand as he shakes their hand and again apologizes sincerely. But before this man of honor can make a clean break from the woman that he has been married to for fifteen years he hears her say "Wait Greg, what about me? What am I supposed to do now without both you and Michael"? And just as every person in the chief's office silently predicts what the well dressed distinguished southern gentle man will say as we all smile and wait for the words "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn".

I waited outside Chief bailey's office for both of the Robbins Torres women and when they finally appeared I softly asked them both "Can I speak with you both ladies"? Dr. Callie Robbins Torres nods her head down the hall to her office as the three of us make our way down in that direction. When we arrive at the ortho surgeon's office I close the door behind me and ask them both to have a seat. I begin by asking the two mothers "When was the last time you both went on a vacation…scratch that…when was the last time all five members of your family went on a vacation outside of Seattle"? Both women began to stutter and talk in short sentences and I realized that they haven't had a long term vacation in a very long time. I decide to end the suspense and come out and say "Ladies, the reason that I ask this question is because maybe you both should really think about taking some time and spending it with your children far away from the turmoil of what has been happening here in Seattle. Your oldest daughter is leaving for college in two months and I know it just down the west coast a ways but my thoughts are for each of your children…and maybe they just need some quality family time with their mamas…especially Lucy. This is just my opinion". 

**Now back to me…Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres…**

Both of our mamas dropped Daniel and Lucy and I off at the Sheppard's house so we can spend this nice sunny day swimming in their pool with Zola, DB and Alexa. Mama says they will be back in a few hours and leave our presence in the very capable hands of our Aunts Meredith and April and our Uncles Derek and Alex. Poor Daniel has the fair porcelain skin like our mama whereas Lucy and I have the dark caramel skin of our mami. And on days like today when the temperature is hovering around ninety degrees Zola and I lather up Daniel's white skin with hopefully enough sun block so he does not look like a lobster at the end of the day. Uncle Derek and Uncle Alex are on grill duties while Aunt Meredith and Aunt April are getting the food ready inside the house for lunch. Then we all hear some more familial voices as Aunt Miranda and Tuck join the party. But it is when I hear Lucy gasp for a breath of fresh air and say "Uncle Owen" that I notice that our family from Stanford California has come for a visit.

I walk out of the pool and into the awaiting arms of my godmother as she swallows me up in the best hug ever and whispers in my ear "You alright baby girl"? I kiss Aunt Christina's cheek and say "I am now" as she goes back to hugging me tight again. Before Aunt Christina lets go of me she says to me "You know I would have been here sooner but the life of a surgeon…" and I kiss her cheek again and say "Yea that's not gonna fly…besides mami told me you called everyday…sometimes more than once a day". With my godmother kissing my temple and saying "Just wanted to make sure you were alright…and you are".

Mama and mami arrive a few hours later and we all have a great day just swimming, eating and just hanging out. It's the first time in a long time that we all had some fun. The men of this family built a large bonfire and we all stay up until late into the evening roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Some of us even went down to the river and went fishing for a while. Both of our mamas along with our aunts make up enough room for everyone to sleep except for our mamas. We all watch Uncle Derek toss my mami the keys to the trailer he still owns as he says "You both never really got to celebrate your anniversary this year with everything going on so the boys and I made up the trailer and the girls stock it full of girly things for the two of you. We'll keep an eye on the children so you both don't have to worry…now go off and have a wonderful evening ladies".

With a kiss and a hug for each of their three children, our mamas make a mad dash out the front door like a couple of horny teenagers. With all the girls sleeping on one side of the upstairs bedrooms and the boys on the other side, I slide into one of the beds with Lucy. The minute I scoot towards the middle of the bed my baby sister holds onto my body extra tight. Lucy has not been able to sleep very well since what happened to me a few weeks ago. So when she sleeps with either me or my mamas, when the other one is at work, she holds us really tight. We try to ease her concerns by telling her that we are not going anywhere but I cannot do that for much longer since I am leaving soon. But for now my baby sister can hold on to me for as long as she wants and whenever she wants. The only downside of this arrangement is that Lucy may have come out of our mama, with the help of mami's egg, because she snores like our mami.

With Lucy taking up the entire bed with her flailing arms and legs all about, I wake up and decide to make my way downstairs. I grab Uncle Derek's parka out of the front closet and walk back outside to sit by the fire. I find DB sitting by the fire's edge melting marshmallows and I ask him "Mind some company"? DB stands to offer me his chair as he says flashing his daddy's dimpled smile "Always". I take a seat in his chair while he finds another one and plants it right next to me. For the next hour or so DB and I talk baseball, fishing, school stuff and what we both want to do for the rest of the summer. Then the mood gets pretty serious when I say to my friend "I know that I have thanked you for what you've did for me a few weeks ago but I just want you to know what you did really means a lot to me. You are a great friend and I hope that even though I am leaving for school soon that we can remain friends because I don't want to lose you DB". With DB leaving his seat to poke the fire and not saying a word back to me I think to myself that I may have said the wrong thing. Remembering that after DB refusing to leave the hospital for two days during my stay, I think that he may have more personal feeling towards me than I feel for him.

I watch DB adjust the logs in the fire and I want to continue our conversation but I am afraid that I will hurt his feelings by telling him how I truly feel. When my friend finally retakes his seat next to me he says bluntly "Zola was right. She told me that what you just told me was the exact thing that you would tell me. My sister, your best friend, knows you just as well as you know yourself". DB laughs just like his daddy when I ask him "You and Zola were talking about me? Why were you and your sister talking about me"? DB runs his hand through is unruly extremely dark curly hair while he snickers again and says to me "I ask my sister for some advice when I told her that I am in love with you. And she practically said the same thing you have just said to me…amazing…you both are simply amazing". All I can think to say is "I'm sorry DB" but DB just take my hand in his and says "Sofia, I have been in love with since forever but I have also known for that long period of time that you have never felt the same way. You love me as a family friend and nothing more. I'm more than alright with that…I never in my life expected you to feel the same way about me. I just want the two of us to remain friends and not let this little confession ruin what we have and share together".

I stand from my sitting position and take this young man in my arms while kissing his cheek and whispering in his ear "I really do love you, y'know". DB squeezes me tighter against his strong and viral teenage body as he kiss the side of my neck and whispers in my ear "Yea I do and I love you too". Just as we both break our embrace DB's mom, my Aunt Meredith, walks out onto the back deck and asks while waving her hand between the two of us "Hey you two, is this something we are going to have to worry about with you both"? DB leaves my arms as he gathers up his mother in his arms and says "Nah mama, we were just clearing some things up that's all. Sofia and I are cool…real cool". I laugh at DB's comment and tell my Aunt Meredith "Yes ma'am, we are two of the coolest cats you will ever meet…and we plan on staying that way for a long…long time". I kiss my aunt and her handsome son's cheeks and make my way back inside to sleep.

Daniel Alexander Robbins Torres has his sweet little ass in his khaki shorts on the John Deere riding lawn mower without his shirt on just as the twenty member girls cross country team from St. John's High School comes running by. But the surprising turn about fair play move of the summer is when more than half the girls cross country team from the high school I just graduated from stop dead in their tracks to say hello to our baby sister that is helping me weed eat and trim our two acre yard. Daniel is floored to say the least by all the attention by some of the girl high school's athletes that are now paying some special consideration to his baby sister. Daniel rides the mower in the other direction when he realizes that he is getting nowhere with these ladies. I hear him mumble to himself as he moves around the front of our house to the back as he says "Bad enough I have to compete with guys like DB to find a girl…but now my baby sister is bringing her game into the mix…my life sucks right now…it so sucks". I just smile at my brother but I am silently thinking "Way to go, baby sis…way to go".

Just as the three of us are finishing with the yard work, we all watch from our garage this mid sized RV pull into our driveway. My brother and my sister and I all look at each other in confusion, thinking that maybe the occupants of the RV must be lost, when all of a sudden both of our mamas jump out from inside this very large recreational vehicle and yell "Surprise". The three very dirty and sweaty children of these two beautiful and gorgeous women stand in our driveway with all smiles as we ask together "What's going on, mamas"? It is our mama who begins her explanation of our six week summer road trip to visit our grandmother Barbara in Boston and our abuelos in Miami. Then it is our mami that finishes our mama's clarification of our impending vacation across the country when we all jump into each other's arms when Lucy asks "When do we leave"? Mama says "Mami and I have to tie up some loose ends but if the three of you help us get the RV ready and pack your clothes…I'm thinking first thing in the morning wouldn't you say honey"? Our mami looks at her wife and her children's smiling faces and says "Yea baby, first thing in the morning".


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks everyone for the reviews…very much appreciated…**

**CHAPTER SIX**

**July 1****st****…Two days after Daniel and I receive our certification to drive the RV…**

Six a.m. is way too early for anyone to have to be awaken from their sound sleep in summer month of July for any reason. But then my baby sister reminds me in her most cheerful voice "Come on Sof, you need to get up out of bed because we get to spend the next six weeks of our summer vacation traveling across this beautiful country of ours before you leave for college". That is when I remember how much I love my family and having a baby sister that is going to miss me as much as I am going to miss her in two months. I scram out of my bed and grab a hold of my beautiful sister as we both wrestle each other back into my bed.

Dr. Wyatt has had one session with Lucy about her fears and with our mama's approval, after we return home from our vacation, Lucy agrees to see Dr. Wyatt for some more sessions. Dr. Wyatt feels that Lucy is going to be the one Robbins Torres family member that will have the hardest time with me leaving for college. But for now and the next six weeks my sister and I along with our brother and our mamas are going to have the time of our lives driving to see our grandparents.

By seven a.m. the whole damn Robbins Torres clan is packed and already on the road on our way from Seattle to Boston. Daniel is the first one of the four of us to drive with our mami in the front seat meticulously watching my baby brother's driving skills. Mama, Lucy and I are putting everyone's things away where they are supposed to be. Mama has also found some friendly looking campgrounds along our cross country route. But trying to convince our mami as well as my brother that we are not spending our nightly sleeping arrangements in a series of fancy hotels…along the way…well that's another debate all in itself.

Once we make our way onto Interstate 90 and head due east out of the state of Washington, it is in the "cockpit" as Daniel likes to call it, that is relatively quiet with our mami only having to tell my brother a few things along our way. Our mami who is reading directions on her phone says to the four of us "Did any of you know that Interstate 90 is the only interstate in the country that goes from the west coast to the east coast of these United States"? Lucy is the first one to answer our mami as she shouts proudly "Yes ma'am, I think I was taught that in the fifth grade. And mami did you know that all even numbered interstates travel east to west and all odd numbered ones travel north to south"? Then it is our mama who pipes up first and says "I was taught that fact by your grandfather on our many moves cross country when he was in the Marines".

With every electronic device known to man that each Robbins Torres family member owns coming with us on this trip, it is the game of Jenga that mama, Lucy and I partake in this morning. But as luck would have it, playing the tower game in a moving vehicle proves to be too much as the game falls three times before the three of us decide to move onto another traveling game. Mama has purchased way too many board games to choose from for this trek across the country that is why the three of us decide to play cards instead…five hundred rummy to be exact.

At around one p.m. our mama's tell Daniel to make a stop at exit number five just inside the Montana border for some lunch and to fill up our gas tank. In the six hours since we have left our home we have traveled a little over four hundred miles. With Daniel and mami taking the RV to fill its gas tank Mama, Lucy and I walk into this cute little diner to find a table to eat some lunch. Before the five of us split up and go off in groups of two, I see my mama give my mami a kiss on her lips in public. A very proud feeling comes over me when I think that there was a time in this country when I was little that this little simple act of showing the person you love in this world how much you love them was unheard of and strictly forbidden in most states of the union…glad to see that this has changed.

After almost an hour of filling up the RV to eating some terrific food at the local diner to buying a small amount of groceries, the five of us head back into the vehicle as it is my turn now behind the wheel with my mama in the front seat as my co-pilot. Mama and I just laugh as we hear my mami and my siblings arguing over one of the board games that they are playing because my baby sister is beating the pants off our mami and Daniel…and they both hate to lose…at anything...both mami and Daniel have that in common…among other things.

About twenty miles east of Billings Montana our mama's say this is a good place to stop for another pit stop. I pull off the interstate and find a gas station at a truck stop so we can all get out and stretch our legs and use the facilities. When Lucy, Daniel and I return to the RV, mama and mami are beginning dinner and the three of us set the dinner table. We have been on the road for a little over twelve hours as we all sit and enjoy our dinner. Mama and mami discuss our next driving schedule with mama taking the wheel and Daniel staying up with her to keep her company. Mami, Lucy and I will try to get some sleep and then in five hours or so mama will find the Rushmore Shadows Campgrounds were we will settle down for the rest of the night. Then tomorrow most of the day is for sightseeing as we are going to visit the Mount Rushmore monument and some other historic sites. That is the one and only reason that Daniel is staying up with mama on her turn to drive and keeping her company…because he is so excited about going sightseeing tomorrow that he will not be able to sleep a wink tonight.

I hear the click of the sliding wooden door that separates the front of the RV from the back go into the closed position as I barely open my eyes. I feel the soft warm lips of my mama on my forehead as I hear her whisper in my ear "I love you Sof" and I watch her climb down off the top bunk to bend into the bottom bunk and kiss Lucy's forehead and whisper in my baby sis's ear "I love you Luce". Then I watch my mama quietly close the door to the master bedroom where I hear her finding my mami sleeping but then I hear mami say "Oh Arizona". Then I smile when I hear mami say "Arizona what about the children" and I know that my mama's are about to make love to one another as I hear my mama say "They are fine and you need to keep your moaning quiet baby". I hear the two of them laugh a bit and mami say "Me…what about you babe". That is when I put my ear buds in to silence my mama's extra curricular activities as well as my baby sister's snoring…man she so does snore like a freight train…just like our mami…but not tonight…mami is not snoring at all…not if mama has her way.

I wake up to the smell of bacon cooking and freshly brewed coffee filling the air in this RV. Climbing down out of my top bunk I see that Lucy is still sleeping too. I softly nudge my baby sister awake and we both make our way to find the source of this great smelling morning. With a hearty "Good morning pretty ladies" from our mama, Lucy and I take a seat at the dining table. Lucy asks our mama "Where's mami and Daniel"? Then mama playfully says back to Lucy "Well you two sleepyheads, your mami and your brother already ate their breakfast and have made their way down to the showers. So as soon as the three of us finish our breakfast then we can go and take our showers too. Sound like a plan ladies"? Then my baby sister just cannot resist herself when she asks our mama "Why are you so especially cheerful this morning mama"? Then I add my two cents in because I know exactly why our mama is so cheerful when I say "Yea mama, why are you so cheerful today"?

But when my mama sees my mischievous grin on my face she knows that I know that she and mami made love to one another last night all the while telling Lucy "Can't a mama be happy that she is spending some quality time with her family and loving every minute of it". That is when my mischievous smile turns to a loving one and I mouth the words "Good one mama" and continue to eat my deliciously made breakfast by my mama. Mami and Daniel return to the RV just as mama, Lucy and I are ready to head out to take our showers. Mami kisses mama and tells us "Take your time ladies…Daniel and I will get everything ready for our break in the driving action today as we will map out our sightseeing tours".

With each of us children's showing the other our touristy trinkets that we all bought during our visit to the Badlands of South Dakota today it is Daniel that asks our mama "Do you think you can sew these patches on the back of my fishing vest, mama"? Mama looks oddly at our mami and says to my brother "Yes Daniel…yes…if I can sew a heart back into a tiny human's chest…then yes…I can sew a patch onto your fishing vest". Mami just looks at her wife and jokingly says "Oh really Arizona" and mama says swiftly "Yes Callie, I can sew on a simple patch". Both my mami and I just snicker at the thought of our mama using her God given talent to sew fabric and not skin.

Mami and I begin dinner while Daniel, Lucy and mama change into their lounge wear for the evening. After dinner all five of us clean up the RV and get it ready to roll. Mami takes over the driving duties as mama makes a reservation at the  
Sioux Falls campground for the night. With a five hour drive ahead of us, my brother and sister and I occupy our down time with some electronic catching up with our friends and family. I see mama is doing the same thing front her front seat passenger perch all the while talking to mami as we head for Sioux Falls.

The next morning is July 3rd and over breakfast mama asks mami "Callie can we make it to Boston in time for the 4th of July festivities"? Then Daniel says adamantly "We have to mama, Grandma Barbara has Red Sox tickets". Our mamas plan out the rest of our journey within the next twenty minutes as we finish our breakfast. The next twenty four hour plan is that I drive from Sioux Falls South Dakota to Madison Wisconsin as I place myself behind the wheel of the RV as head out Interstate 90 going due east. Then mami will drive from Madison through Chicago and Detroit and into Toledo Ohio. Then Daniel will drive from Toledo to Buffalo New York and mama will finish our cross country drive from Buffalo to Boston. By the time all five members of the Robbins Torres clan agree to the terms of the next twenty four hour driving plan I am already on I-90 heading towards Madison Wisconsin.

Lucy went to bed about an hour ago just about the time that Daniel and mama woke up from their scheduled sleep time because they are driving the last two legs of our cross country journey. Both mama and Daniel have eaten their dinner and Daniel is behind the wheel when mami and I kiss them both good night and mama tells the two of us "See you both in the morning…love you two". Mami plants one more kiss on mama's lips…a little more sensual one this time…and whispers "I love you". Mami and I make our way to our beds when I hear mama finally say 'I love you too baby" and I say to my mami "Boy, I sure hope I find someone that loves me like mama loves you". My mami takes me in her arms as we walk to the back of the RV and kisses my forehead and says "Me too mija…me too…because you deserved to be loved like that…just like me and your mama". I hold my mami close to me and say "I do…I really…really…do".

**JULY 4****TH****…I-90…DRIVING IN THE GREAT STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS…**

I wake up at around seven a.m. and see that Lucy has made her way into mami's bed because their constant snoring seems to be their special lullaby. I walk into the common area of the RV and see that Daniel is still talking as he is now in the co-pilot seat and mama is driving. I stand at the counter and ask my mama "Do you want me to make some coffee"? I almost do not get to finish my sentence when I hear mama say "No Sof…no more coffee…I think your brother has had enough for today". That is when I realize that he must've drank more coffee than he should have because he won't stop talking. I give my mama some relief from my brother's constant chatter as I take over for him in the passenger seat. Our mama just smiles at my gesture and welcomes the much needed relief.

Mama asks me to call grandma and tell her we are about an hour away from Boston. I playfully say back to my mama "You sure she is going to be up at this hour"? Mama just gives her trademark Robbins dimpled smile and says "Your grandmother is a wife and a mother of three of the most punctual people on this planet. All of her life she has risen up from her slumber at the butt crack of dawn and has taken care of your grandfather as well as your Uncle Tim and my every need. So I can tell you for a fact that when she knows that her grandchildren are coming to see her and our Aunt Jodi that they both are awake and waiting and the kitchen will be full of food…I guarantee you that baby girl". I hear my sweet grandmother's southern twang as she answers the phone and says to me "Good morning Sofia and how is my beautiful granddaughter this fine morning"?

Mama asks Daniel to go and wake up his mami and his baby sister so they can get ready because we are about forty five minutes away from grandma's house. I just stare at my mama as she says "What" to me in a questioning tone. But before I can say a word about what mama has just done we both hear my mami say "Arizona" in her not so nice voice as mami continues to say on her way to the front of the RV "How much coffee did you let our son have this morning"? Mama just laughs and says "Let him have…Callie our son is a foot taller than me…how in God's name am I supposed to stop him…beside I've been driving all night"? Mami tells Daniel to go and lie down until we reach Grandma Barbara's house just as Lucy comes out of our mama's bedroom and says "Mama, why did you let Daniel drink so much coffee…you know we will never get him to shut up now"? Before mama can say a word in her defense about this sudden urge from the other Robbins Torres ladies of the family to blame her for Daniel's talkativeness, we all hear that infamous Torres family snore coming from the sofa area because Daniel is now sound asleep and snoring like a freight train.

Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi are waiting on the massive front porch of the Robbins home in Boston when mama pulls the RV into the driveway. Uncle Kevin died last year so Aunt Jodi moved in with grandma and sold her home because she and Uncle Kevin never had any children of their own. Mama and Uncle Tim were their life just like they were both grandma and grandpa's life too. But now with three grandchildren, these two women get to spoil the three of us just like they did mama and Uncle Tim…and Mami gets her share of being spoiled too.

With the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls along with every other bakery and breakfast item imaginable, it does not take long for Daniel to awaken from his abrupt sleepy state and make his way inside the house to help all of us enjoy this wonderful and delicious breakfast. Grandma and Aunt Jodi tell all of us that tonight's Red Sox baseball game starts at five p.m. with a spectacular firework show afterwards. So we all have plenty of time shower and to take a nap before we need to leave. My brother does not have to be told twice about this afternoon's activities as we all watch him wolf down his breakfast and take all of our luggage to our respective rooms. Then he makes a beeline to the shower and into his nice big comfy bed in his room here at grandma's house for a well deserved nap. The rest of manage to do the same thing as Daniel except we do not wolf down our breakfast…but we all do shower and take a very long nap.

Our first night in Boston, in the words of my mama, is freakin' fantastic. With the greatest baseball team in the world, according to my Grandma Barbara, winning today's game and the best fireworks show ever, in the screaming voice of my baby sister, afterwards the whole Robbins Torres clan are having an amazing blast at Fenway Park. Daniel completes the wonderful night by saying on our way to the parking lot and to our Jeep "What a way to start our summer vacation".

For the next twenty one days the five of us share some awesome, I know that's another mama word, time together with our Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi. My brother and sister and I learn so much stuff about our mama and Uncle Tim and even some surprising things about our grandparents when they were younger. Then during one rainy night of our visit Grandma Barbara shows all of us the one thing that she and Aunt Jodi have been working on for the past month or so. We all walk into a room off the kitchen to where the parlor used to be our mama says. This room once housed every Robbins toy that she and Uncle Tim had because this room was their room. With four massive walls that went from floor to the ceiling over twelve feet high and one of the walls has the largest bay window with a window seat that is about six feet long. Looking out the bay window for as far as your eyes can see is nothing but Robbins land…forty some acres…that goes on…and on…and on. On the enormous wall opposite the bay window is the beginnings of the Cavanaugh family tree…Cavanaugh is Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi's maiden names. Then on the wall to the right as you walk into this room is where the Robbins family tree begins. And then the last but certainly not least wall begins the McMillan family tree…this is Uncle Kevin's family name.

With an elaborate family tree theme covering three of the four walls because of the large bay window, the wall with the window is Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi's work stations. An oversized mahogany table sits near the window seat where both of the women's computers rest at each end of the table. In between the computers lay an excessive amount of pictures, newspaper clipping, drawings, print offs of people, places and things that relate to everyone on each of the family trees. Then all seven of us each pull up a chair or take a seat at the window and begin to search all the different family related items that are on the top of this beautiful desk. The computer screen lights up with pictures of family members from as far back as the 1500's when it is believed to be the first known Robbins family members set foot on American soil in the great state of North Carolina. The first known members of the Cavanaugh family arrived in America in the mid 1600's from Derry Ireland. Derry Ireland is a coastal town in Northern Ireland and in the early 1600's the King of England at the time, King James I, changed the city of Derry's name to Londonderry. The Cavanaugh family settled in the Massachusetts seaside town of New Bedford because as the old story goes…it reminded the family of home. Aunt Jodi has traced the McMillan family to as far back at the early 1700's with the first recorded settlement in Maine.

Once Daniel and Lucy hears their grandmother and their aunt talk about having ancestors that settled in a town nearby they both begin having a conversation with all the adults asking if they can all take a road trip to the southern town of New Bedford. Daniel's main interest in this trip is helping his still alive ancestors find some new information on how their family came to be…here in the seaside town of New Bedford from Derry Ireland. With a road trip planned south for the weekend, everyone gets ready for a good night sleep because we will leave bright and early in the morning…and with a promise from Daniel…no coffee.


	7. Chapter 7

**jUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS...LOVE READING THEM...**

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Arizona has stayed in Boston to confer on a consult with an old friend and colleague but promises everyone that she will meet with us this evening. My wife will drive down to the bed and breakfast that she and I chose for everyone to spend the weekend at after her meeting. The rest of us arrive just in time this morning to the "Heritage Days" festival here in New Bedford. With different tents set up for the different families that were some of the first settlers here, Daniel spots the large white tent that has the name "Cavanaugh" written across the top of it. He takes one arm each from his grandmother's and his great aunt's and wraps them in his arms and walks the women over to the awaiting tents. Once inside the tented area a very nice young lass dressed in the period clothing takes our names and begins to ask how we are all related to the "Cavanaugh" family. My mother-in-law and my aunt walk up to this nice young lady and begin to tell her about their heritage. I watch my oldest daughter start to make a beeline anywhere else but near her relatives and I meet her in the middle of the room.

"And just where do you think you're going, missy" my mami says to me when I try to make a mad dash out of the tent. "Just to get some fresh air…seems a little stuffy in here" I say to her but she sees right through my ruse and takes me by the arm and leads me out away from our other family members. We find a spot right next to a large oak tree where no one else is standing. My mami backs me up sharply against the tree and says "What's going on with you, Sof…you seem sort of distant ever since yesterday when we all found out about what your great aunt and your grandmother have been doing with this whole family genealogy stuff…come on you can tell your old mami…we always talk about things". I look my mami right in her big brown eyes and say "That's just it mami…all this genealogy stuff is from the Cavanaugh-Robbins perspective…I'm not one of them…I am not a Robbins…as much as I want to be mami…I'm just not one of them". The next sound we hear is my sister gasping for air and saying "Sofia".

My mother-in-law takes my daughter by the arm as she whispers to her "Come with me Sofia my darling" as they both walk back towards the tented area with my other two children following their grandmother. Once inside the tent Barbara sits all of us down at a table while she and Aunt Jodi place about a dozen books, pamphlets and magazines in front of all of us. Inside all of these written pages are stories of the Cavanaugh family along with other families that traveled a very long distance around the world to make their fame and fortune. New Bedford was just one of many cities that became their new homeland after their adventurous journeys. One novel in particular Barbara has found a special interest in today is about a wife's perspective of who and what her husband did for a living in the early1700's to support his family…and how this meticulous tale weaves an unmistakably remarkable resemblance to her own blended family.

Barbara sits down in between her two granddaughters as she begins to tell them a story. "When your mama's were getting married and I met you abuelo's for the first time in Seattle, your abuelo Carlos and I began a conversation one day about our family history. He was all about making sure that his Latin bloodline and heritage would be carried on long after he was gone. He began telling me about one of his ancestors that was a pirate captain sailing the Atlantic Ocean searching for hidden treasures that had sank off the coast of New England and the two Carolina coasts. He told me a story about when this pirate captain and his men harbored their ship in some seaside town in Massachusetts for a few days to gather some supplies. Your grandfather said that a storm, a nor'easter if you will, came up suddenly one afternoon and by the time the storm had passed the ships in this port town has some very extensive damages and they had to stay in this small town for the next three months until the repairs were complete".

Lucy interrupts her grandmother's storytelling to ask "Grandma, what does this all mean" as Barbara smiles her own dimpled smile to say to her youngest grandchild "Baby girl, I am getting to that…just have a little patience my dear". Then Barbara begins again by saying "In those three months that the pirate captain had to stay here in New Bedford, he fell madly and deeply in love with a blonde haired blue eyed beauty that just arrived here from Ireland just four months before. The pirate captain tried his darndest to properly court the beautiful lady but her father did not like the fact that this man was a pirate and an outsider…but he really didn't like that the man stealing his daughter's heart…was of Spanish descent. So when he forbade his daughter from seeing him and running off with the pirate captain…but the young lady stowed away on the pirate captain's vessel and made a life with him. They had a family with several children but some twenty years later…the young beautiful lady that fled her father's grasp and ran off and made a life for herself…had come home to New Bedford to raise her children because…her pirate captain husband was killed at sea".

Patience is not one of Lucia Michelle Robbins Torres virtues as she again asks her grandmother "Grandma, where are you going with this story" as our mami says "Lucia Michelle you do not talk to your grandmother like that…ever". My baby sis then says "Sorry mami…sorry grandma…I just want to know" but before my sister can finish her sentence our beloved grandmother lays the book she has been holding throughout this storytelling session and we all see that the woman who wrote this novel is Madeline Spencer Cavanaugh. Then Grandma Barbara says "The reason for me telling you all this story was to tell you Sofia…that we are related…not only by your mama's marriage but by the pirate captain and the beautiful lady he fell in love with and married over three hundred years ago". My mother-in-law opens the book and we all read "To my loving husband and my very own pirate captain…Javier Miguel Torres…may peace be with you my love".

Mami is stuttering her words…she gets like that when she tries to talk to fast…we all do actually…but mami's stuttering is the worst. Then grandma and Aunt Jodi sit mami down to tell her how they both found this revelation out about two months ago during their genealogy search but wanted to wait and surprise all of us with the news together. With grandma explaining to mami "Jodi and I had always heard this story from our father about one of his distant relatives falling in love with a pirate captain and sailing off into the sunset with him. Then I remembered your father telling me about a pirate captain in his lineage and so we searched for pirate captains from Puerto Rico and Cuba. That is when we found this relative of your father's. We traced his story back to Massachusetts and began putting two and two together until we found out about their relationship". Then Aunt Jodi says "One night when I could sleep, right after Kevin died and right after I moved in with Barbara, I found this novel online and began to read it. When I told sis about what I had found in my research, she ordered two copies from the New Bedford Historical Society and they held them for us until today. This one is for your Callie and your family". Then Barbara says "When you drive down to Miami to see your parents, please show this to your father…he will be so happy to know that his Latin bloodline and his heritage will live on forever".

After a long overdue hug and kissing session between everyone it is Grandma Barbara that says to me "You know Sofia that even if you're Aunt Jodi and I would not have found out about this relative information that you would always be my granddaughter…and no bloodline would ever tell me any different. I love you just like I love all of you…so please don't ever let me hear you say that you are not a true Robbins descendent…because baby girl of mine…I now have proof…your are of my flesh and blood". I hug and hold on to my grandmother for a long period of time as I whisper "I love you too, grandma" in her ear and she wraps me up tight in a very traditional old fashioned Robbins…or maybe I should rephrase that thought and now say…a Cavanaugh bear hug.

After a very fulfilling day full of surprises and a bountiful cookout and baseball game with other different Cavanaugh relative that came to New Bedford for the Heritage Days festivities, we all make our way back to the bed and breakfast to find no mama in sight. I quickly call my wife to ask her how much longer she will be as she tells me she is about a half of an hour away. With our three children sharing a room and my mother-in-law and her sister sharing a room, I am waiting for my wife to join me in our queen size bed. I am lying on the bed watching the video from today that depicts all the many adventures we all experienced without my wife today as I begin to feel a little sad. I think about all the new things that were revealed today by my mother-in-law and our aunt…but I mostly think about how my wife was not by my side to share in these experiences with all of us.

I walk into the entrance of the bed and breakfast after helping a friend out with a surgery at Boston's Children Hospital. I am met inside by our son Daniel when I find him in the library. I walk up behind him and say "Hello my boy". Daniel turns on the socked heels of his feet to say "Mama" in his most cheerful voice and he makes his way over to hug and give me a kiss. Once he has chosen a book to read before bed we both make our way to our rooms. On our journey Daniel begins to tell me about the adventures that he and the rest of our family had experienced today but stops short of telling me too much information as he says "Mami said that if you were late tonight that we would all tell you all about today when we have breakfast in the morning. Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi both found some interesting things out about our family". Once we both reached our separate bedroom doors Daniel says one last thing "We all played in a joined baseball game today. Mami video taped it for you on her phone. Goodnight mama, I love you". I kiss my son goodnight and tell him I love him too.

I softly open the bedroom door as to not startle my wife unexpectedly only to find her gently snoring and fast asleep. I hear the low sounds of some music playing in our room as I find my sleeping beauty tenderly tucked away in our queen sized bed. With her left hand grasping her phone, I slowly remove the electronic device from her hand and do not even wake my beautiful wife. I make my way into the bathroom and quietly close the door so I may watch the video my wife made for me today. After getting all teary eyed at the emotional message from my wife to me that she left on her phone, I watch the highlights of the Cavanaugh family baseball game. With my mama and our Aunt Jodi being cheerleaders, I proudly watch my wife and children play their hearts out this afternoon. Being in the bathroom for more than a half an hour watching the video, I make my way back out to the bedroom and to my adorable sleeping wife.

I am standing at the chest high dresser drawer with attached mirror when I place my wife's phone on the charger docking station. The soft music playing gets me in the mood to dance a little while I am changing out of my street clothes and into my sleepwear. Suddenly I feel two warm hands encircle my waist and slide across my stomach as they are gently pulling my body back into my wife's body. Calliope whispers in my ear "Oh baby I have missed you so". With both of our bodies beginning to sway to the music together is when I feel my wife opening my pajama shirt from behind and begin to palm both of my breasts. I lean my head back onto Callie's shoulder and say in a whisper "Callie" and this seems to fuel my wife on as she intensely begins to massage and caress both of my boobs all the while telling me "You have such magnificent boobs my love". Then my wife slides her hands down the length of both of my arms and places my arms and hands on the top of the chest high dresser drawer and tells me "Hold on tight…I will be right back". My wife then makes her way down my backside kissing every inch of my skin that she can and comes to rest in between my legs.

With a soft nudge from my face Arizona spreads her legs open for me while holding on to the top of the dresser for dear life. Hearing my wife moan my name over and over only encourages me more as I devour my love completely. Gripping her very tight ass as I feel her hand on the back of my head guiding me into her beauty I make some very sexy love to my wife while bringing her to the first of many…many earth shattering orgasms tonight. With my wife catching her breath while never letting go of the grip she has on the top of the dresser, I am licking up the remnants of what I have just done to her between her legs. I slither my way up the front of her body to face her when she without any warning swallows my mouth up with hers and I hear her moaning when she tastes herself in my mouth. During the long and passionate kiss I feel my wife's heel of her hand on my mound as her fingers glide inside of me with ease. With the two of us using our bodies to build up some friction by rubbing our mounds together and with the up and down motion of Arizona's fingers deep inside of me, I grip my wife's shoulders and scream very loudly "I'm coming…oh god baby…I'm coming" and I do all over my wife's hand and down my legs.

With the two of us fucking like bunnies a few more times and then taking our time making love to one another, I begin to start to fall asleep in my Callie's arms but then there is a knock on our door. I whisper to my wife "You don't think we were too loud do you…and now they are making us leave in the middle of the night"? My wife leaves my arms as she just laughs and says back to me "You can be so dramatic sometimes my love" while making her way to the door. Hearing Callie talk to whoever is at our door but not being able to make anything out that they are saying to one another, I just curl back up in our bed and wait for my wife. When I see my wife's robe come flying across the room and I stare at her body just as naked as the day she was born, I then see she is holding a pizza box and a six pack of beer. Spreading her arms open wide to show me her naked body again all I hear her say "Thought you might be a little hungry after our marathon love making session so I ordered a pizza and some beer".

When my wife climbs back into our queen sized bed I take the pizza from her hand and gently place it on the floor while she sets the beer on the nightstand. I then take my wife's face in the palm of my hands and say to her "I am still hungry…but not for food…I am still hungry for you" and I place my wife's naked body on top of mine and we make love to each other for the sixth time tonight. Then when the pizza and beers have been consumed and we are lying in each other's arms just about ready to fall asleep, I hear my wife in a whisper say to me "Arizona my love, I want to have another baby"…and so the discussion begins…


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Daniel, Lucy, Grandma Barbara, Aunt Jodi and I are all sitting at the breakfast table when mama and mami come into the room laughing hysterically. Lucy perks up from her sleepy state to ask her mamas "What's so funny mamas". Our mama says matter of factly "Your mami and I were discussing having another baby". That is when Lucy jumps from her seat abruptly but before she can utter a sound mami quickly defuses the situation by saying "No…No Luce…we are not getting pregnant…we were just entertaining the idea…but then your mama and I talked it over…and decided that we are going to wait for the three of you to give us grandchildren…lots and lots of grandchildren". I watch as each and everyone breathes a sigh of relief at the thought of our mamas getting pregnant at their age. When Lucy says "Besides mamas, you'll both be turning fifty next month…I think that's way too old to be having a baby…don't you"?

**TWO HOURS EARLIER…**

I sit in this old rustic chair that adorns our bedroom here at the bed and breakfast while I watch my beautiful wife continue to sleep. I think about what she proposed last night about having another baby…but at our age…and with both of us reaching a milestone in our lives next month…I think the discussion needs to continue. With the smell of coffee brewing across the room, it does not take my wife long to wake up as she turns in the queen sized bed to see me just sitting in the corner of the room all by my lonesome. With a quick and gorgeous smile lighting up my morning from my wife face I hear her softly whisper "Good morning, baby" and I make my way back to our bed and back into her arms. I begin to say "Callie, if having a baby is really what…" but my lips are covered closed with my wife's index finger and I hear her say "Shhh…no talking…just kissing…no talking" and we make mad and passionate love again.

When our latest love making session is through, I feel compelled to explain myself and my sudden urge to have another baby. I am spooning my wife from behind when I softly kiss the fleshy patch of skin at the back my wife's left ear that she loves so well when I whisper "Arizona" and my wife turns in my arms to face me. I kiss her thin pink lips again and then say "I love you" as I hear her tell me she loves me too. Then I begin to say "The children along with mama Barbara and Aunt Jodi and I had such a wonderful time yesterday…without you…that when I came up to this room after dinner and you still were not here yet…I began to think about our life. I began to think that in about five years our three children will be out of the house and on their own…and then it will be just you and me…alone but together. I guess that I was feeling a little lonely and thought how great it would be to have a baby…but I now realize that at our age…our time has passed and I'm sorry for bringing this topic up".

I kiss my wife tenderly and then I say to her "Don't ever be sorry for bringing any conversation up for discussion darling…I, too, have been thinking about the "empty nest" syndrome that we are about to face in the next five years…but I think that we are definitely too old to start anew with a tiny human…but I am also looking forward to waiting to see if any grandchildren are in our future. I think that once the children have "flown the coop" as some of our parented friends say then we can get back to focusing on our lives…because I don't know about you…but I am so looking forward to having you all to myself for the rest of our lives". My wife takes my face in her hands as she kisses me again so very passionately and then says to me "I am so looking forward to having you all to myself too, baby". My wife and I then get dressed to meet the rest of our family for breakfast.

**PRESENT TIME…**

My wife answers our youngest child as she says "Yes mija, your mama and I are too old to have another tiny human…but maybe someday you and your brother and sister can give us some grandchildren that we can fawn over…just like your Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi do to the three of you". With me answering first by saying "Maybe…someday" and then Daniel says "Yes…someday…definitely" all the while our baby sister Lucy stays silent and both of our mamas laugh to their hearts content about our reactions to our mami's comment.

My family and I after breakfast start today's adventures beginning at the festival where we left off yesterday. With every family member catching my wife up to speed with all the details of her mother and aunt's findings about our family history while we all make our way around this beautiful seaside town. The whole family does some sightseeing and shopping in the quaint little shops that adorn the downtown marketplace. Daniel gets a special kick out of the fish market saying "It reminds me of Seattle" while Lucy has fun riding the segway scooter around town. Visiting an antique book store in the center of town, Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi begin a discussion with the store owner about there ancestry and genealogy research. Tom, the book store owner, tells my grandma and great aunt about some historical books that he has that were written around the 17th and 18th centuries. With grandma and Aunt Jodi's curiosity satisfied and our purchases complete, our time here in New Bedford is coming to an end.

Mama, Mami and Daniel are tying down our luggage on the top of the vehicle and wrapping a tarp around everything to secure our belongings. Mama is driving the very packed Jeep carefully but when she misses the turn off to the highway that would lead us home mami is the first to say "Babe that was our exit". Mama just smiles without saying a word while she continues driving toward the waters of Buzzard's Bay. With Mami, being the only one besides mama paying attention to the road ahead, it isn't until the rest of us hear the thumping noise of our tires that we even look up to find that we are entering the inside of a ferry boat. With all of us leaving the Jeep to stretch our legs and wander around the ferry boat it is then that mama tells all of us together "I rented a beach house on Martha's Vineyard for a week so we can all relax and have some fun together". Our mami is the first one to kiss our mama as we all gather the two of them up in our arms to show our appreciation of her grand gesture and thinking about all of us.

Four days into our summer retreat vacation here on Martha's Vineyard and the weather has been nothing but spectacular. Mama, Grandma Barbara, Aunt Jodi and Daniel have chartered a boat to take them fishing today while Mami, Lucy and I make our way around the island and do some light shopping. Eight hours later we all meet up at the Blue Canoe Waterfront Grill for dinner and to catch up on all of our days activities. With Daniel and mama sharing the story of what it was like to watch Grandma Barbara going head to head with a four foot striped bass and how Aunt Jodi got the whole thing on video. Then it was Luce and my turn to tell how cute the charming little dress shops in Edgartown were and about all of our purchases. That is when I see my mami sneak a kiss from mama as I hear mami whisper in our mama's ear "I bought you a little something too my dear" and mama's face becomes all smiling with her dimples all aglow.

Now on the fifth day…that was another story…a storm blew in over night and chilled things down a bit on the island. With the threat of an upcoming thunderstorm looming in the mist…we all decided that this day would be an indoor game day. So with every family member doing their part to create a day of board and card game festivities, each family member takes turns inventing and preparing their own choice of food appetizers for everyone else. Mami and Grandma Barbara usually are the only two allowed in the kitchen to prepare our meals but with all of us raiding the well stocked pantry and putting together our own special dishes…the food wars between the Robbins Torres clan begins. Mami and Lucy are the only two in the family that takes a special interest in watching different food channels on the TV but Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi are giving them both a run for their money with some old fashioned classic dishes. Daniel is cooking some burgers and hot dogs and some chicken out on the grill while mama and I set up the dining room area and get all the refreshments together after we have finished with the making of our three homemade desserts.

Just in the nick of time everyone completes all of their cooking as the lights go out. Daniel, Lucy and I find all the candles we can while the four older women of our family strategically place them around the dining room and other areas around the house to illuminate our surroundings. Then we all take our seats as Aunt Jodi says grace and we begin to enjoy this multi-cultured feast. With our conversations going from fishing to traveling through the northern part of the country in an RV to finishing with the talk every family member has dreaded and that is with Sofia going off to college in a couple of months. Grandma Barbara is especially taking this "journey through our lives" very hard mainly because she and Aunt Jodi both live on the east coast and the rest of us on the west coast.

Lucy is taking all of our conversations in as I can see her head processing all that she is hearing. Just like our mama my baby sister is always thinking about others and trying to simplify their lives. And after about fifteen minutes of watching the wheels turn about in her head…not one person sitting at this dining room table ever expects to hear the words that come out of the youngest Robbins Torres child's mouth…but once they are said…not one family member can think of a reason that Lucy's audible thoughts cannot happen. Grandma Barbara is the first to say "My granddaughter…my beautiful…loving…granddaughter…I love you…I think your idea is a wonderful and affectionate way to show me and your Aunt Jodi just how much you love the two of us but…" Then our mama and mami rise from their seats together and say 'No…No' as their sudden outburst becomes a bit confusing to every one else at the table.

Then Lucy jumps to her feet and says "But why mamas…why can't grandma and Aunt Jodi move in with us…we have that huge farm and huge house…heck if they want their own privacy…we can fix up the that house out back that is just sitting there". Our mama walks over to my baby sis and takes her in her arms and says "No mija, your mami and I are not saying no to your idea…we were saying no because we are upset with ourselves that we did not think of this solution first. We love the idea…your idea…and if your grandmother and aunt would like to do as you ask…then I think the five of us can arrange to start getting the ball rolling on their big move across the country". Then it is what our mami says next that has all of us smiling at the two elder women of the family when she says "But first, I think we need to properly ask Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi if they would like to move to Seattle and live with all of us".

The five members of the Robbins Torres family stand in the middle of the dining room of this gorgeous rented beach front home and just stare and do not say a word at two of the most influential women of this family. Aunt Jodi is the first to speak as she says "Barb I do not know about you…but I like this idea of Lucy's. I mean I know that you have traveled all around the world with Daniel and the kids when you all were younger…but me…I have lived in Massachusetts all my life. I am ready for a change…so now big sis…will you follow me and our family back to the great state of Washington"? My grandmother looks up from her dinner plate at all of us staring back at her and simply says "I would follow all of you to the ends of the earth". Then with a hearty "Yeah" coming from Lucy and mama we all return to our seats and begin several rousing rounds of our favorite games.

For the next few weeks here in Boston all five of us help Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi sort through there possessions. With every single family photograph coming home with us in the RV back to Seattle, mama is finding this journey through her life as well as her family's life very excruciating and painful. I find her down in the basement this morning rooting through some old boxes marked "Arizona and Tim" as she is trying to figure out what to keep and what not to keep. With a box of tissues in my hand I sit on the floor of the basement with my mama as we both travel back in time and my mama begins telling stories about every single thing in every single box. Then hours later after being joined by every Robbins family member and the box of tissues have been emptied, mama is keeping seventy five percent of her belongings and placing the other twenty five percent in the largest three day weekend yard sale that this neighborhood here in Boston has ever seen.

At dinner that evening the conversation begins with our mama's telling and showing our grandma and our aunt how things are progressing with the renovations at the farm house on our land in Seattle. With Uncle Alex sending mama some pictures of what he and his crew have already done in the few weeks of work. They promise to have everything ready for when both women make their final move to Seattle in January of next year. Uncle Alex and his crew have been buying houses and flipping them for about fifteen years now. So when grandma and Aunt Jodi said they would move to Seattle they wanted a place of their own as not to intrude on our home. With much debate being held between our mamas and our grandma and aunt, our mamas finally caved in and accepted the fact that even though they told grandma and Aunt Jodi that their moving to Seattle was not an imposition on our lives or our household of any kind, our mamas both chose to hire Uncle Alex and his team to refurbish the farm house.

Then after the pictures of the farm house have been passed around the table Daniel asks "Mamas…Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jodi, would any of you have a problem with me selling grandpa and Uncle Tim's military memorabilia at the yard sale next week. I remember most of the stories grandpa told me about his time in the Marines. He also told me some stories about Uncle Tim and his time too. I would be so honored if you all would let me tell people these stories and about all of the items for sale". Our grandmother raises her hand at our mamas silently asking them to let her answer my brother's question and when both of our mamas nod their head in approval our grandmother speaks. "Daniel, it would give me great pleasure for you to help with the selling of these objects with you telling your stories about my husband and my son's military expeditions. But since you are only sixteen the military guns, knives and other weapons will have to be sold by a professional. I have asked an old family friend to help with that part of the sale but everything else is for you the sell my beautiful grandson".

I smile at my grandmother as I think how happy she has just made my brother with her words of encouragement about our grandfather and our uncle. My brother Daniel is a smiling fool right now as he gladly accepts our grandmother's acknowledgement for his request because he is so proud to be named after both of these men and this is a fitting tribute to the two men that are a huge part of his life…of all of our lives…to the one man we never knew…and one man that we all knew for a very short time in our lives…but both men leaving a lasting impression on my sixteen year old brother. Daniel is like a sponge…and I mean this in the most endearing way…but he absorbs everything he is told…that he reads…and he even has a photographic memory…which can be quite annoying sometimes. But I for one cannot wait to see him shine at the yard sale next week.

Then the next question at our family dinner comes from our mama as she asks our grandmother "Who…who did you ask to sell daddy's weapons, mama"? Our grandmother…who is a picture of etiquette perfection simply says "Baby girl, can you and Callie wait until after dinner to discuss this matter. I was going to tell you both about making a phone call earlier to her and asking for her help in this matter. But then Daniel asked me his question and I had to let him know that he could not sell your father and your brother's weapons. Please can we talk about this subject matter later and not in front of the children, please Arizona"? Daniel, Lucy and I watch in awe of how well our grandmother keeps her cool while our mama is losing hers as our mama screams a little and says "No mama…you didn't…please tell me you did not ask her to come to our home…please mama not her"? Then our perfect eloquently spoken grandmother says "Arizona, she is the only one person I would trust to do this for me…for us". But then it our mama that has the last say "You should have asked me mama…you should have asked me and my wife before inviting her back into this house". We all watch our mama run away from the table with our mami chasing after her as we hear our mama cry "You should've at least asks the two of us first mama…you should've asked".

With three pairs of inquisitive eyes now staring at our grandmother as a hushed silence now falls over the dining area it is me that asks in a questioning tone "Grandma"? But it isn't until Aunt Jodi states "Barbara…Barb, you need to tell the children what is going on and why you asked that woman to come back into our home after what she did to our Arizona". Just as our loving and thoughtful grandmother begins to tell my bother and sister and I a tale…a tale of two women and the outcome of their love affair…that went so tragically wrong…our mama comes out from the other room to say very sternly "Mama, this story…is not your to tell…if and when I want our children to hear this story…I will be the one to tell them…and not you…because this is my story". Then mami asks that the three of us help Aunt Jodi with the dinner dishes and putting the leftovers in the fridge as we all hear our mama ask our grandmother "Mama please, can my wife and I talk to you in the other room, please mama" as they all leave our sight.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

We are all at our positions, or stations as Grandma Barbara like to call them, behind the massive amount of table that are lining our yard at our family home in Boston. The seven of us are watching all different kinds of folks meander around looking for things to purchase from our family's collection of their past history and of their lives here in Boston. A Dodge Charger…let me be more specific…a dark blue sleek looking Dodge Charger that looks like it could outrun anything in its path…pulls into the parking area. A dark haired tall thin woman exits the driver side of the car while a slightly smaller woman with light brown hair departs the passenger side of this magnificent automobile. My brother Daniel says "I bet that's her…the driver…I bet she's the one". Lucy and I just smile at our brother's thought process as I think to myself "Oh yea…she's the one" and just keep smiling. Then Lucy says about the subject matter before us "Mama's taste in women has never changed…she still likes the tall brunette women" and my sister and brother and I share a small chuckle as we all know our baby sis is so right".

The two women walk up to me as I notice the tall thin brunette is wearing jeans and a t-shirt that states very proudly "Boston P.D." with a vintage leather jacket and athletic shoes. The other woman is wearing a sun dress with a thin sweater and high heeled shoes. The dark haired woman states a matter of factely as she stares at my brother and sister and me "Wow, I can't believe how much you all looks like your mothers". Then this woman asks "May I speak with Mrs. Robbins please"? But it is Lucy that seems to cop an attitude, no pun intended, when she flat out asks "Which one…there are three of them you know"? Then Daniel steps in between Lucy and me to kindly say "I'm sorry about the rudeness of my sister. My name is Daniel Timothy Robbins Torres…now which of my mamas or my grandmother would you like to speak with"? With the police officer staring boldly at our sister Lucy and making the snide remark "Like mother …like daughter" under her breath but loud enough for all of us standing nearby can hear. Then we hear the other woman say "Honey, let's stay focused on the task at hand. Daniel, Barbara Robbins is who we would like to see and talk to…thank you young man".

**LAST WEEK'S DREADED CONVERSATION…**

Daniel, Lucy and I help Aunt Jodi with the dinner dishes as we all watch our mamas and our grandmother walk into the study with mami closing the door and the blinds behind them. The four of us do not say a word as we try to listen to what we can from the other room. When Aunt Jodi sees the three of us trying to eavesdrop on the conversation in the study she instantly turns on the radio to the Red Sox game to cover up the somewhat soft shouting match that is going on between the three women. My brother and sister and I immediately get the quiet message from our great aunt and begin to finish cleaning up the kitchen area. After about an hour of our mamas and our grandmother talking in the study the door opens with the three women walking out into the living room. Grandma asks that we all have a seat because she and our mamas have something to tell us.

Our grandmother begins to say "When I called the Boston Police Department and explained our situation to them about wanting to sell Daniel and Timothy's military weaponry, the nice sergeant transferred my call to the officer in charge. When the woman's voice came over the phone to say "Good afternoon this is Captain Rizzoli, how may I help you"? I was shocked at first when I heard that all too familiar voice on the other end of the phone that all I could ask was "Jane…is that you"? The captain must've looked down at her caller ID on her phone because she then said "Arizona" softly back to me but I quickly said "No Jane, this is her mother Barbara". Hearing the rustling of paperwork in the background Captain Jane Rizzoli apologizes by saying "I'm sorry Bar…I mean Mrs. Robbins, how can I help you"? I explain the reason for my phone call as the good captain says back to me "It would be my pleasure to help you out. Just give me a call when you decide on the exact date and time and I will be there. Thanks for calling and I hope your family is doing well". I end the call by telling the captain "My family is doing wonderfully…I have three grandchildren now Jane…and it was good to talk to you too…see you next week".

Then our mama takes over the conversation from our grandma as she begins to say "A long…very long time ago I was in a relationship with Captain Rizzoli. I was doing my internship at Mass Gen and was on my trauma rotation. One night six police officers were shot during an attempted drug bust at a warehouse down at the docks and were brought to Mass Gen. Captain Rizzoli was one of the officers shot as she was a rookie patrolman at the time. After saving her life and dating her for about six months, we moved in together and began a life together. But my internship was an aggressive time in my life taking up almost all of my time. I was barely able to see my family during these two years let alone spending any time with Jane. One day I came home from work early after finding out that Jane had been sleeping around with other women and she was in our bed with another woman. Without listening to her blaming me for our lack of communicating and our dead sex life, I left the apartment and moved back home. Three months later I was offered to complete my residency at Johns Hopkins and I grab everything I owned and shoved it in the Jeep and left for Baltimore without telling Jane where I went and asking mama and daddy not to either. ".

We all watch our mama take a drink of the beverage that our mami has brought to her but before mama begins again Lucy has a question "She found you didn't she mama"? Our mama hangs her head down slightly and says in a whisper "Yes baby girl she did…I guess that cop mentality got the best of her and she could not leave well enough alone". And then our mama raises her head upright to smile and say to her three children "But the worst part was yet to come. Jane found me in Baltimore and began stalking me and harassing me. My father had finally had enough of what she was doing to me and he told Uncle Kevin. I do not know exactly what Uncle Kevin said or did but I never heard from Jane again. Not until your grandmother asked her to help sell the family's weapons". No one notices but me how quickly Aunt Jodi leaves the study and makes her way outside to the screened in porch area.

Another thirty minutes of grandma and mama arguing about mama's former girlfriend coming by the yard sale next week becomes very old…very fast with my brother and sister and I losing interest. I leave the presence of the rest of my family to go in search of Aunt Jodi. I find her sipping a tall glass of sweet tea on the back porch when I ask her if I may take a seat. With the word "Always" slipping out of her mouth I quietly ask my great aunt "Uncle Kevin took care of Captain Rizzoli…and the problem she was causing mama…didn't he Aunt Jodi". My great aunt with all the southern charm that her mama raised her to be just simply smiles and with the look on her face I know that she knows what Uncle Kevin did to control the situation and that was good enough for me. I will never have to ask her again because in the Robbins family…we protect the ones we love…and our Uncle Kevin just like our Aunt Jodi loves all of us like we are their own…because in a way we all are…and we all protect the things we love.

**BACK AT THE YARD SALE…**

Daniel walks over to tell our grandma that Captain Rizzoli has arrived. Grandma Barbara comes up behind me with Aunt Jodi and Lucy flanking both sides of our grandma for moral support. Grandma Barbara extends her hand out to shake the Captain's hand and greeting her to the yard sale. Captain Rizzoli introduces her wife to the five of us with our grandmother saying "Madam Mayor, I never expected you would find the time to make an appearance at this type of function but I am very glad to meet you". Captain Rizzoli just simply states with a laugh "My wife wants to keep me in check…you know seeing the old girlfriend's family and all". With no one around the yard sale table finding the good captain's humor very funny our grandmother quickly introduces her three grandchildren to the two women. With grandma explaining to the captain about the military weaponry and walking the two women down to that area of the yard sale with Daniel in tow, Lucy and I notice it is mami that sees the captain before mama does and whispers something in mama's ear. Mama never turns around and stays focused on the selling of the items on her side of the table setup. But it is watchdog Lucy that goes from selling the yard sale items to planting herself in a chair next to our mama's and keeping an observant eye on her mama and her mama's former girlfriend…just to be sure that nothing happens or no harm comes to our mama.

Ten hours of yard selling behind us and on our first day we sold over sixty percent of all the items. Arizona and I are finishing the closing down of the yard sale when I see my mother-in-law saying goodbye to the woman she asked to sell Daniel and Timothy's weapons. I take my wife by the hand and make our way over to the other women when I tell our children "Sof…Danny…Luce, why don't you all go and get cleaned up and we'll all go out to dinner after your mama and I finish up here". With Sofia and Daniel racing each other to get inside the house first our baby girl stand vigilant by her mama's side. I look at my baby girl and say sort of sternly "Luce" and she looks back at me and then to her mama as she says just as sternly "Mami". With Arizona standing in the middle of me and our youngest daughter and not saying a word I look at our Lucy and say "Luce, I got this…you can stand down now". Our baby girl kisses my lips and then her mama's lips as she and I knock fists together and make the "blow up fireworks" signal and Lucy walks towards the front of the house never taking her eyes off of the sight before her…as she stops on the porch to watch the outcome.

My wife Callie and I walk up and into the middle of the conversation between Jane and my mother as they are talking about the eight handguns that were not sold today at the yard sale. Aunt Jodi has already made her way inside the house to get ready to go out to dinner mainly because she has nothing to say to the woman that made my life a living hell for several months all those years ago. I am the first one to say "Hello Jane…Hello Maura" as both women turn to see me standing there with my wife. Jane starts to walk towards me but my wife blocks her path and holds out her hand to introduce herself by saying "Hello Jane is it, I'm Dr. Callie Robbins Torres…Arizona's wife…and you must be Jane's wife"? The infamous Dr. Maura Isles, medical examiner extraordinaire, extends her hand to shake my wife's hand and says "Yes…I am…Doctor…I mean…Mayor Maura Isles Rizzoli. It is a pleasure to meet you Dr. Torres". With Maura watching her wife's blank expression covering her face as does my wife, I say "Well I just wanted to thank you both for coming today and helping out my mother". I take Callie by the hand and turn to leave but not before hearing Jane say to me softly "Arizona" as her wife says with a touch of venom in her voice "Jane". But then we all hear an audible "I'm sorry…I am so sorry Arizona…for everything" come from Captain Jane Rizzoli's mouth but I just keep walking toward our home and with my mother hot on our trail…to my family…our family…to a family I would have never knew I ever wanted…if circumstances beyond my control had not happened in my life…and lead me to the life…I never knew I always wanted.

With my arm around my wife's shoulder and her arm around her mother's the three of us walk back into our Boston home. There is one curious question on my mind that I really want to ask my wife but as we are in our bedroom getting ready for dinner Arizona whispers to me "Yes". And with her answer I realize that I do not even have to ask her "Was Maura the one" because I can read her face just like a book. With my brave girlfriend still trying to hide the hurt behind her dimpled smile I just walk up to her and kiss her pink lips and squeeze her tight.

With the RV packed to the gills with fresh homemade food and snacks, all of our clothes freshly washed, the one last time going over our Christmas plans this year and how we will all be back here in Boston by December 15th to help with the final packing up, the five of us say our final goodbyes to my mama and aunt. Promising to call often on our way until we reach Miami and then again when we leave Miami and are on our way home to Seattle. I give my mama one final kiss telling her I love her and we will see them both soon. Then I take my seat behind the wheel as we all wave goodbye and blow kisses out the window. With my wife in the co pilot seat we begin our travels southward to the hot and humid city of Miami where Sofia, for one, along with the rest of us cannot wait to see her abuelos. Daniel begins searching for some sites to see on this fifteen hundred mile road trip down the eastern part of this great country.

Daniel shouts out so loud that it makes everyone in the RV jump "The Red sox are playing the Orioles tonight…mama can we stop and see the game…we're passing right through Baltimore today…please…please mama". Mama and mami smile at one another while mama says "First we have to stop on the upper west side of Manhattan for lunch…you all have got to taste the burgers and milkshakes at the Shake Shack…then if we have time…we will head to Camden Yards…no I think it's called Oriole's park now…but we'll see if we have time today son". We all watch my baby brother throw his hands up in the air and scream "Yes". I am sitting in the living area of the RV when a wonderful idea pops into my head. I slowly walk to the back of the RV and into my mama's room and cautiously close their door. I pull out my cell phone from my pocket and push the "call" button. It only takes one ring for the caller to answer the phone as I hear "Sof, Is there anything wrong…are you alright…your mamas…your brother and sister…talk to me Sofia". I smile into the phone thinking how the caller always thinks of my family first…before himself…and I say "We're all just fine…I…we just really miss you and was wondering what you are doing this evening because I would like to invite you to a baseball game…in Baltimore tonight"?


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

***Flashback*…June 15…Dr. Calliope Robbins Torres's Office**

I softly knock on the door of an old friend as I hear her say "Come in" and I enter her office smiling from ear to ear. Without looking to see if there is anyone else in the office I begin to say "Hey Cal…" but I quickly change my demeanor when I see she is talking to Dr. Nelson…Shadow Sheppard…and I say "Dr. Torres, I'll wait". When my friend of over twenty five years finishes her conversation with Dr. Nelson and he leaves her office Dr. Torres says to me "Dr. Torres" with a smirk on her face as she begins to laugh and say "Still can't get over the fact after all these years that you have a right to be here huh Karev". I just laugh too and say "Yea, sometimes the old doctors still give me hell about starting my career here and never leaving". I take a seat in front of Callie's desk and the smile on my face grows wider and wider. Callie looks up from her desk full of papers and sees me smiling like I just laid a super model or something to that affect when my dear old friend smiles and knows exactly why I am smiling as she says "You got it, Karev".

I simply state the obvious and scream for joy "I got it Cal…I fucking got it". My friend jumps up from her desk and runs around to close the distance between us as she swallows me up in her arms and says "I am so proud of you, Alex…you deserve this…you are a great doctor…and a wonderful human being…even if Christina still calls you "evil spawn" every chance she gets". I kiss my friend on the cheek when she asks me "Who else have you told your good news to"? I retake my seat in front of her desk and say "Bailey, Meredith, Christina of course, Jackson, April and I even called Dr. Webber". Callie looks at me with her sympathetic eyes and says "Alex" in her very firm voice. I look down at my hands as I bow my head and say "I was hoping you would tell your wife and the kids for me and I'll just quietly leave town before Arizona kills me for doing this". Callie bolts back out of her chair and says "No…No…mister…this is all on you…no…I've had to keep this a secret from all of them for two months now since you applied for the position…I had to make excuses on why you flew back home to Iowa when you really went to Baltimore for your interviews…when they all find out I knew about this beforehand…well…I am not only going to feel the wrath from my wife…but from my three adorable babies too…and you know how they can be…you've seen them when they hold a grudge…it's not pretty…not pretty at all…so this is all on you mister man…Oh hell no…not me".

For the next hour or so my friend and I talk about how we can tell my mentor who is also her wife and their children about my leaving Seattle and moving to Baltimore. Then as I leave Callie's office I tell her "I'll see you later" and make my way to see Dr. Bailey again. After receiving the loge passes for SafeCo Field from Dr. Bailey, I text my friend Arizona Robbins to invite her to the baseball game tonight. I have already texted Callie and Sofia because they both have answered me back by saying "Hell Yea" so I figure that I will tell them tonight when we are all together…like killing two birds with one stone…if you will.

I arrive early to make sure everything is set up for tonight. I put a bottle of champagne and a bottle of white grape juice on ice for the celebration…I hope. Callie and Arizona and their kids arrive about an hour before the game starts because everyone wants to watch batting practice between the two teams. When batting practice is over and I receive a nod and a smile from Callie I ask my friend "Arizona can I talk to you about something"? Arizona replies "Sure" as I rise from my seat and offer her a hand to help her out of hers and we both walk back into the en suite of the loge. I close the door behind us and begin to tell her what I have done. With a push to my chest with the palm of her hand and my mentor yelling at me and calling me a "Crapdog" I begin to get scared…really scared. Then when Arizona finds out that Callie knew all about this all along she screams "Callie, can I have a word with you and Alex" and we both watch my friend's wife rise from her seat and tells something to the children. Callie makes her way into the enclosed room that now has me and her angry wife both in it.

I am standing in the en suite of the loge at the Seattle Mariners game and am livid…positively livid…at what my protégé has just told me…or so it seems. When he confesses to me that my wife knew about this ruse about him applying and receiving the news that he has been hired by my old friend Dr. Norman McHale at Johns Hopkins to be their new Head of Pediatric Surgery, I decide to have a little fun with the two of them. Callie walks into the en suite and says so nonchalantly "What's up, babe" acting like she has no clue what is going on here. I say to her harshly "Don't give me that "What's up babe" attitude when you know very well enough what is up". Callie instantly becomes defensive as she says "Arizona, in my def" but before Callie can say another word I take a picture of the two of them with their all puzzled looks on their faces as I laugh out loud and say "Bazinga". Karev is the first to say "What the hell, Arizona".

"You two do not think that I did not know all about this news. Dr. McHale called me two months ago to talk to me about your resume entry. I talked to him several times in the last couple of months especially when he narrowed the playing field down to you Alex and another doctor from Texas. Then three days ago he called to tell me he made a decision and would be choosing you. Hell he even asked me if I wanted to be the one to tell you but since you never told me of you plan ahead of time I told Norman to call you himself and tell you the good news. I am so happy and proud of you Alex and you will make a wonderful and contributing addition to the staff at Johns Hopkins. Congratulations my friend…well done Alex…well done indeed my friend" is what I tell two of the most important people in my life. Then I add as I watch both of their facial expressions change from a puzzled look to a more confused look as I tell them "I love you both so much. Probably more than I could simply say in words but Alex…you make me so proud…so very proud…and why wouldn't I be happy for you…you are a good surgeon…maybe not a great as me…but a good surgeon". Alex scoops me up in his arms and says "Thank you Arizona and I love you too…I will make you so proud of me…I promise". As the three of us looks outward from the en suite and see our three children sitting there all I say to Alex is "This one's on you my friend…it's all on you to tell them…good luck with that, Alex".

After Arizona's last statement all I can say is "Yea" but then I ask my two very dear friends "Will you both stay here with me while I tell them"? With both Callie and Arizona nodding their heads in the affirmative, I venture out to ask the children if I can have a word with them. The three of them graciously walk into the en suite with Sofia asking "What's up, Uncle Alex"? Both Arizona and I chuckle a bit because the oldest Robbins Torres child sounds just like her mami. Then Callie chuckles with the two of us to as she notices the same thing we both notice about their daughter. I begin by telling the three children about my applying for the head pediatric position at Johns Hopkins but when I tell them my duty starts on July 1st, in just two short weeks, it is Lucy that screams at me "Mama's right Uncle Alex…you are a crap dog". She suddenly surprises everyone in the room after her temper tantrum as she runs out of the en suite and back to her seat out in front. Arizona starts to go after her daughter as everyone else is still in shock but I grab a hold of her arm and say "Let me".

I take a seat next to my young "niece" as I ask her "What's really going on Luce? I know that you're upset about me leaving but baby girl…it's time…I have been working with your mama for most of my adult life…and it's time if I can see if I can do some my very best work without her guidance. She understands and I hope someday you will too". Lucy looks up at me and says "I am very happy for your new career move Uncle Alex…but this summer has just really got me down. First with Sofia leaving for college in a couple of months and now you moving across the country. I know it's all about the two of you growing and moving on with your lives…but I do not like it…not one bit Uncle Alex". I place my left arm around my baby girl and squeeze her tight. Then I take her left hand and place it on my heart and say "But the one thing you need and must remember Luce is that you will always be right here…in my heart…forever and ever…I love you". With a gentle kiss on my cheek from my Lucy and hearing her whispered words "I love you to Uncle Alex…and good luck in Baltimore…you'll be great…maybe not a great as mama…but you'll be great in your own right".

**BACK TO THE PRESENT TIME…**

Talking with Uncle Alex as he is excited about meeting all of us at tonight's baseball game. I tell him "You have to not answer your phone if anyone else in the family calls you. Just let it go to voice mail and I'll make the suggestion that maybe you're probably in surgery. Then when we get closer to Baltimore, I'll text you and then you can text my mama's and let them know that you are available. Does this sound alright to you, Uncle Alex"? I can hear my uncle's smile through our phone call as he says "Sounds like a great idea Sof…but I'll text you and let you know because I may be able to get some loge tickets…the hospital has several loges at the ballpark…so let me check into that and I will let you know. I love you Sofia and cannot wait to see all of you". I then end the phone call with my uncle and make my way back out to the front of the RV just in time to hear my mami say "I'm still getting his voice mail honey…do you want to leave him a message"? Our mama shakes her head "Yes" and our mami leaves our uncle a voice mail message. When she is done with her phone call I casually say to them "Maybe he's in surgery" as I watch both of my mama's shake their heads and I just smile at the fact I am pulling the wool over their eyes and they don't know it.

Our mama and mami debate about all sorts of things about our lives…throughout of lives…most of the time in great detail…and even some times with their infamous shouting matches…but today…when our mama tells us earlier in the day that we have to taste the burgers and shakes at the famous "Shake Shack" in New York City…she was spot on…these two food items with a side of fries is the best lunch any of us have ever had…according to my brother Daniel. After purchasing a dozen or so of these uncooked burgers to place in our freezer in our RV, we all climb back into this monstrosity of the vehicle and make our way back down the highway to our final destination of the day…Baltimore Maryland.

Uncle Alex texts me to say that he has secured a loge for tonight's game. I text him back to say "Great" and he tells me that he will text my mamas now. Then within a few seconds both of my mama's phones go off with mami's phone receiving a text and mama's phone actually ringing. Mami is now driving south down the highway so it is mama that answers her phone first and we all hear her say and ask "Hello Alex, how are you"? With mama putting her phone on speaker so all of us can talk to Uncle Alex. With our plans being confirmed by all the adults, Daniel and Lucy are ecstatic about meeting up with their favorite uncle and I just sit and smile at how well I orchestrated today's event so we could see our Uncle Alex. I miss him…like I really miss him…he has always been there for me and my family…even staying in Seattle for all those years to learn from our mama…now out on his own…doing his own thing…and I for one cannot wait to hear about all of his surgeries and his crazy adventures in his new town.

Unlike the last time we were all together at a baseball game and were sitting in loge seating, the five of us were the first ones to be seated at Orioles Park with the help of a fine handsome young gentleman. Uncle Alex was no where in sight when we first arrived so Daniel and Lucy and I gathered up what we were going to eat and drink and find our seats to watch batting practice. Mami comes out of the suite to sit next to me and I ask her "Where's mama"? She tells the three of us that our mama was in the restroom washing up from road trip. Then we all see Uncle Alex as he is making his way up the stairs to the loge section. My brother and sister and I frantically wave to him and he waves back at us. Then we watch as a light brown haired woman stops our uncle's progression up the steps as she is talking to him. After a few seconds our Uncle Alex tries to walk past this woman but she turns and slaps him in the face.

Our uncle continues to walk away from this woman but Lucy, getting into her protective mode, stands and yells "Hey" and the woman looks in her direction. Then I see mami's hand take a hold of my sister's forearm and say "Lucy, sit down this very instant". My sister does as she is told by our mami and when Uncle Alex takes his seat next to our mami our mami says to him in a joking manner "A dissatisfied la…friend"? Uncle Alex jokes right back to say "You could say that…she's mad that I did not call her back…you know those chicks". Then I hear our mami say "Yea but she looks so familiar…like I have seen her somewhere before…y'know Alex". Within seconds I watch our Uncle Alex come undone at the mere thought of our mami's suggestion as he says in his stuttering voice "What…no…Callie…how …can you…can you say that…where…where could you….where could you have possibly…seen her before". Then mami says to our uncle "Alex, what the hell is wrong with you. You seem awfully nervous all of a sudden". Then our uncle excuses himself by saying "Nope just need a beer".

I am finding this conversation with Alex a bit odd so I ask my children "You three alright"? When I receive three very different variations on the word "Yes" I tell them "Ok then, I'm going to talk to your uncle…you three stay right here". With no movement or answer from my children I get up and make my way to the suite. Once inside I say to Alex "What the hell was that all about out there Karev"? Watching Alex practically down his first beer and then hear him say "It's nothing Callie…can't you just drop it already". With the commotion coming from the two of us, Arizona walks right into the middle of our fight to say "Hey…hey you two, what the hell is going on and why are you both shouting"?

I begin to explain to my wife about this woman slapping Alex across the face earlier when Alex says again to me "Just drop it Torres". Then I say to her "And when I told Alex that the woman in question looks familiar to me that is when he went all bat crazy" I stop mid sentence and look at Alex as the bulb goes off in my head and I remember where I have seen that woman before. I stare at my friend and say without any hesitation in my voice "Alexander Michael Karev, you need to tell her and you need to tell her now". My wife looks at both me and her protégé and says "What the hell are you talking about, Calliope…what does he need to tell me, baby"? Karev just stands there between my wife and me as I say again "Karev" and he asks me "Why Callie…why couldn't you just leave well enough alone"? And now I am getting mad as I say "Tell her Alex or I will".

With my wife and my protégé arguing about some woman, the three of us do not here the suite door open and close but we all hear the voice of another individual say "Yes Alex, tell her now please". I stand stiff as a board and do not move a muscle as I say in a whisper "Joanne". Callie and Alex turn towards the door and I hear Alex say "Oh shit" as he slides down the wall to sit on the floor and he keeps repeating "Oh shit…oh shit…oh shit". Callie just stares at me because I do not turn around as she walks between me and Joanne and stands guard. Joanne begins to laugh and say while staying put just inside the door "What are the odds that I would sleep with this fine looking man a few times and during those times he would blurt out your name Arizona after we had sex to tell me about his life and his mentor in Seattle. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever been lucky enough to have sex with these two very fine individuals…one gentle and attentive and the other rough and abrasive…what are the fucking odds".

With my wife saying "I think I am going to be sick" and makes a mad dash back into the bathroom, I walk up to this woman that once shared a bed with my wife long before I ever knew her and say "Alex tells me he has a restraining order against you". The smile that Joanne was carrying on her face quickly disappears as I continue and say while pointing out the suite window "You see that gentleman coming into our view…he is my brother and a member of the Baltimore Police Department. He has come here to see me and my family tonight…so if you do not want to be arrested on the spot…I suggest you get your ass out of here fast…and never run into Alex again…do I make myself perfectly clear"? This woman looks at the police officer walking this way and bolts out the back door of the suite without saying a word. Alex picks himself up off the floor and says "Callie, you don't have a brother" as I state the obvious and say to my friend "Duh, she obviously does not know that Alex".

I walk over to the restroom door after checking on my children who are still watching the game and oblivious to what has just happened. I softly knock on the door as I say "Baby, open the door…she's gone baby…please open the door…you're beginning to scare me". A moment or two later the door opens and my Arizona says to me trying so hard not to laugh "How fucked up has this evening been Callie"? I take my wife in my arms and say "I love you, y'know" while closing the door behind me and kissing her deeply. When the kiss breaks I say to my wife "This has been a pretty fucked up night but I'm glad Joanne did what she did all those years ago to you…because if she hadn't…I would have never found you". I close the distance between my wife and I again as I pull her close to my body and kiss her again a little more passionate this time. I hear Arizona moan into my mouth as my lips curl a little and I smile into our kiss.

While walking to our RV after hearing Alex apologizes profusely the rest of the evening to my wife, Arizona and I agree to take him up on his offer to spend the night at his new house. The one exception to this rule is that Alex swears, promises and convinces my wife that he has never slept with Joanne at his new home. With the rest of the night, at his new place, spent catching up with Alex it isn't until our children begin to yawn that we all call it a night. I take our children up and get them ready for bed while my wife stays down in the kitchen to finish her talk with her protégé. I kiss my wife and tell her "Don't be too long" and as I walk by Alex I smack him on the back of his head and say "You're still an asshole Alex". He just says to me "You don't know the half of it Torres…Goodnight".


End file.
